Any cakerators want to do something for the hurricane refugees? This may be way beyond my means or with the Labor day coming up, may not be doable, but I was thinking about making either cookies or cupcakes for the children or people that are at the local Red Cross sites. This may also be against health regulations--just don't know. I just feel that they need something "homey" right now. Any thoughts or suggestions?

where in east texas are you located????

I have heard on the tv that you cannot donate food like that to the red cross shelters. The food has to come from the red cross is what I've been hearing. Last night on the news(here in Houston), there was a man who have a lot of bbq he had taken to the Astrodome to give to the people arrriving and he was told he could not give it away.
I don't quite understand that because these people arriving here are hungry and I am sure they would love to have that food.
I might still try to deliver some baked goods to other locations(camp sites, hotels, etc.). I'll just have to think about it.
Just my 2cents!!!

I don't know what we can do, but I'd love to help.

That must be some regulation of the Red Cross or something that they wouldn't allow food to be given. We have a neighbor who has 8 cars from Louisiana parked in front of their house so all my neighbors are getting together and taking groceries to them since they have so many people to feed right now. My mom and sister are here but we are fine for things like food and everything so I wanted to do something to help other people. Maybe I'll bake a cake to go with the groceries.

Everything that everyone is doing is so great. I am so proud to be apart of people who care the way all of you do. We too are doing something for the people here. my neighborhood association is getting together and we are taking clothes, food, ect to the shelter here and then we are giving blood. There is a family here from LA that she went into labor when the storm started and right after she had the baby they sent her and her DH and new baby here. the baby is a week old so we have gathered all the baby clothes and diapers and other baby things for this new born and her family.

Thank you all for caring so deeply. My family is in the Baton Rouge area. We are headed there tonight. I have gotten a bunch of people from work to donate clothes, toothbrushes, toothpaste, groceries and diapers. We are going to drop them off at a shelter there. That way I know that the people that need them the most will benefit.

Again, thanks to all of you who truly care about all of us.

My thought is to contact the shelters first to see if you could bring cakes, cookies there and then if they say yes they will probably tell you how many servings they would need you to bring. I would think they'd want you to be licensed if it's a homemade good but like I said I think contacting the shelter would be the best thing.

From the Red Cross website:
Why does the Red Cross discourage donations of collected goods and individual items for disaster relief?

Collections of items require valuable and scarce resources such as time, money, and personnel to sort, clean, and distribute them, which come at the expense of the emergency activities relief workers are attempting to perform. The Red Cross has neither the resources, nor the logistical set-up, to properly handle these types of donations, and therefore cannot accept them.
In addition, because the organization has no way of knowing what spontaneous individual donations or unsolicited collections of items will consist of, and therefore cannot ensure there will be enough of a particular item to distribute it equitably, or if the donated products will even be appropriate for the relief effort.

Where can donations of collected goods and individual items be most effective?

Individual donations of goods and collections of items are put to their best possible use, and have the greatest impact economically, when they are donated to local charitable organizations within the local community. Donating locally eliminates transportation costs and ensures disaster workers are not overwhelmed with sorting unsolicited donations and are free to perform priority relief activities. Because these local agencies are not operating in the crisis environment that characterizes disaster relief, the charity will have the time sort, clean, and repair goods and identify how and where they can be most beneficial.

I live in Canada but I'd love to help out if I could. I think I'd going to donate directly to the red cross. Does anyone else know how I can help??




Daniela

OK acording to the Tyler morning telegraph you can not donate food items like cookies or cake. Has to be unopened nonperishable items. According to our news tonight 3500 people have arrived in Tyler Texas. The Dr. office i take my kids to is opening their doors to the kids. My mom who works at the Dr office says ther is some form the parent will fill out and the government will pay for the cost of medicines and visits. I think 3 or 4 of our churches are open for the evacutated people and more are on their way. Texas has agreed to take 25,000 more survivors bringing the total close to 100,000. Right now they just need volunteers to help out at the shelters in our area.
Not sure what business did this but my mom was telling me that a business in Tyler donated over 400 pairs of shoes.

The mayor of Longview is asking that people here hold off on their donations. He says that we should give the Red Cross time to assess their need and then they will begin letting us know what to donate.

As I type this I am at work (taking a well deserved break) and dispatching my ambulance crews to help with the evacuation of the people from New Orleans to San Antonio. I cannot believe the amount of need these people have as most of them are in critical medical condition and some may not make it. It really makes you grateful for what you have and glad they are getting out of the area where so much disease and lawlesness.

Hey aliciaL_77
My prayers go out to you and to your co-workers. So many people are doing so much but it still seems as if it's not enough. Please keep your faith and health up. Just know that we are all here for you if you need to talk or vent. Many HUGS--