Breaking News - Katrina News (8/31/2005)

Thursday, 9/1/2005: 08:00 (pdt)

WER’s emergency relief efforts continue for Katrina’s tortured victims.

• WER shipped 40,000 pounds (est.) of food, blankets, bottled water and hygiene supplies to EACH of Tupelo and Jackson, MS, Mobile, AL and Baton Rouge, LA, yesterday.

• Our president, Joel MacCollam, heads for Houston today to meet with local churches which can use WER resources in their own outreaches to storm refugees arriving in Houston.

• WER’s office in Tegucigalpa, Honduras is sending upwards of $3,000 today, a love gift from the people we work with in that impoverished country, for their American neighbors.

• WER’s Scotland charity partner has a fully equipped search and rescue team from Glasgow’s fire brigade ready to fly to America to help, if their skills are needed.

• WER has been offered substantial quantities of children’s books and toys. We are trying to link with FEMA and Houston officials whether these supplies would be a priority before the end of the holiday weekend. Keeping children content and occupied is one quick way we can help ease tensions among thousands of tired, distraught people.

• WER’s CEO approved release of a truckload of bottled water, presumably into the Houston area, for deliver ASAP the commodity. WER has nine more loads available, ASAP shipping funds are in hand. Each load costs an average of $2,300 to load and deliver.

• WER expects to deliver by Friday $200,000 of high-protein meals to “City of Refuge” in Atlanta, where our meals will be prepared on portable kitchens for survivors who have fled to Georgia.

• WER is establishing links with churches in Covington, LA and Gulfport, MS to help facilitate supplies we can get to these areas over the next month.

We are grateful for all of our donors concern and compassion. We urge each and every person to pray … however they choose to … for the millions of victims whose lives are changed forever by this tragedy and, quite frankly, for all Americans.