>From another group:
ModestNeeds helped out my family during a time of great need. Right now, MN is helping out those who need it most, Katrina Victims and Survivors. Anybody can apply for help two times thruout the year, but MN formed a special fund just for Katrina. MN has had over $20,000 donated in less than 4 days. MN's address is http://www.ModestNeeds.org <http://www.modestneeds.org/> . A copy of the current MN newsletter is below. Consider donating to MN and help out in anyway you can. Modest Needs Newsletter: Good afternoon, everyone. A promise is a promise, and I wanted to keep my promise to update you as to our Hurricane Katrina relief efforts and progress at Modest Needs. First of all, I want to let everyone know that since Tuesday, we have significantly sharpened the focus of our own relief effort at Modest Needs. As you know, the full force of enormous agencies like the American Red Cross and FEMA is now focused squarely on the disaster areas themselves. Thanks to these tremendous resources, relief is finally starting to arrive directly to the hardest hit areas - and the people who could not escape them. All the same, there are many thousands of people who were able to leave New Orleans, Gulfport, Biloxi and the other hardest-hit cities. These people are now stranded for the duration. They are staying with friends, family and in hotels, five or six to a room. Because they are out of the disaster area strictly speaking, there will be precious little direct assistance available to these people from larger and more conventional agencies. Families who have seen their household sizes (and expenses) double or triple over the past week as they've taken in Katrina's survivors are going to need some help to accommodate their long-term guests. And those who survived Katrina to find themselves in hotels will likewise need some help with temporary lodging costs, food, and replacement clothing. In response to Hurricane Katrina, and thanks to your generosity, Modest Needs has launched a special initiative designed to ease the financial burden placed on those persons who have opened their homes to friends, family members, and others displaced by Katrina. Through this unique initiative, Modest Needs will offer several types of assistance directly to such persons, including (but not limited to): a.. Assistance with the expenses incurred in temporarily lodging persons displaced by Katrina. This includes assistance to purchase such items as air mattresses, additional bedding, towels, toiletries, and the like; and b.. Assistance with the expenses incurred in temporarily caring for persons displaced by Katrina. This includes assistance to afford additional groceries, replacement clothing, increased utility costs and basic medical care not covered by insurance. We'll also be working directly with the survivors of Hurricane Katrina as they come to us seeking assistance with miscellaneous expenses for which immediate funding is not available elsewhere - for example, help to afford the hotel room which is going to be their temporary home, and help to afford basic necessities like replacement clothing and food. You'll find complete details on this initiative - and learn more about how you can help - at http://www.modestneeds.org/donation/hurricane Already, Modest Needs has begun to receive applications for assistance from Katrina's survivors, now in places like Memphis and Houston, and from families across the country who have taken in these survivors but now have nowhere for them to sleep, no clothes to dress them in. For the past three days, we've been working round-the-clock (literally) at Modest Needs, moving immediately to provide comfort and assistance to Katrina's survivors as quickly as we hear from them. On Tuesday, 30 August 2005, I set a 'modest' fundraising goal: $5,000 for this purpose. As of today, you have given or pledged four times that amount - almost $20,000 - to Hurricane Relief through Modest Needs. And based on the applications we've received and funded thus far, I can tell you that we're going to need every penny of it. As I'm sure you understand, the requests for help we're receiving in response to Hurricane Katrina are more expensive than usual. On average, we're spending between $750 and $1000 (sometimes even a bit more than our maximum) on every Hurricane-related application we receive. And given what we're achieving so far (like housing for five people for a month), these are actually very 'modest' amounts. Normally, our funding would not be enough to consider more than one or two of these applications at a time. But thanks to your generosity, Modest Needs has been able to fully fund 100% of the Katrina-related requests for help we've received thus far, with more help on the way as soon as this update is published. Given the magnitude of this need, and the likelihood that it's going to continue for some time, we've decided to make our Hurricane Relief Effort a 'standing program' at Modest Needs for the foreseeable future. We've adjusted our Online Gift Form so that you can now designate your gift either to Hurricane Relief or to our General Fund, which funds our regular programs. We will continue to help Hurricane Katrina's survivors - and the families who are sheltering them - for as long as necessary, and for as long as funding for this purpose holds out. Especially at this time, I know we all want to avoid having to say 'no,' so your generosity is especially appreciated. If you can, please support this effort. Our online gift form is located at https://www.modestneeds.org/donation/online And for those of you who need help with a small, unexpected expense not related to the hurricane, don't worry - we haven't forgotten about you either. We'll continue to assist you as we can, from gifts made to the Modest Needs General Fund. All we ask is your patience. Whatever your situation, please know that we're working as quickly as we can. There is even more news than this to report, but I must get back to work. Thanks to all of you for your kindness, generosity and - especially - your financial support of Modest Needs as we move to do our part for Hurricane Katrina's survivors. You are truly remarkable people. God bless you all. My very best, Dr. Keith P. Taylor President/Executive Director Modest Needs Foundation http://www.modestneeds.org/ 'Small Change: A World of Difference' Tel. 212.463.7042 ================================================= If you need temporary financial assistance - especially assistance related to sheltering survivors of Hurricane Katrina - please visit http://www.modestneeds.org/help to apply for short-term assistance from Modest Needs. We'll do everything in our power to help you in your time of crisis. If your life has been touched by kindness and you want to help us pass that kindness on, you can make an instant, tax-deductible gift or pledge of ANY size in less than 60 seconds by visiting https://www.modestneeds.org/donation/online Alternatively, you can make an instant gift by credit card, debit card or eCheck by following this direct, secure link to PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/xclick/business=give%<https://www.paypal.com/xclick/business=give%25> 40modestneeds.org&item_name=Modest+Needs+Foundation&no_note=1&tax=0&c urrency_code=USD Remember that, at Modest Needs, the work we do is funded exclusively by the generosity of persons just like you. Especially at this time, we need your help to reach those who need our help the most - and we certainly appreciate your support. ================================================= All contents (C) Modest Needs Foundation. http://www.modestneeds.org/ "Small Change: A World of Difference" All Rights Reserved [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Life without art & music? Keep the arts alive today at Network for Good! http://us.click.yahoo.com/FXrMlA/dnQLAA/Zx0JAA/wnIolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Have you told a friend today? http://bookcrossing.com/tellafriend Archives and email list settings: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BookCrossing Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BookCrossing/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! 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