Help and Information for Hurricane Victims
Hurricane Katrina destroyed schools and forced thousands of children and teachers from their classrooms at the beginning of the school year. Here?s how you can help teachers and schools with their recovery efforts.
A number of relief officials say giving money?-or organizing local fund-raising campaigns-- is the most effective way to contribute. The Red Cross, for example, won?t accept individual donations of clothes or other items because sorting, cleaning and distributing them takes resources from other critical tasks.
Where to Donate
DonorsChoose, which connects teachers who have specific classroom needs with donors who want to fund them, has a list of teachers' requests in the hurricane-affected areas.
The federal Department of Education has set up a site called Hurricane Help for Schools, for individuals or organizations to contribute books, clothes or other supplies to schools serving displaced students.
Charity Navigator has tips for people who want to donate, as well as a list and links to their highest rated charities helping the relief effort.
Information for Families in Affected Areas
Families in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi, and those who have relocated to Texas, can use the following resources to get answers to their questions about schools in the area.
The Louisiana Department of Education has updates on the conditions of schools in the affected areas.
Mississippi Department of Education has a list of school openings and closings.
The Alabama Department of Education has a list of frequently asked questions for parents.
The Texas Education Agency has two hotlines for school information in Texas, one for teachers and volunteers, and the other for general questions about registration and how Texas schools are responding to the crisis.
