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What now? The
question lingers on the minds of Hurricane Katrina victims and all Americans alike.
How can we help? How can we help the victims get their lives back in order? Would
we be prepared if something as catastrophic as this happened to us?
We've pulled together a short listing of organizations
involved in the relief efforts with links and phone numbers for donating your
money, your time and even your home, coupled with advice for checking out a charitable
group before donating. Donate to a
charity
Don't waste your money!
When donating to lesser-known charities, be sure to check out the organization
to make sure it's legitimate. Our story, "Checking
out a charity" tells you what to ask before donating. You can also verify
the legitimacy of charitable groups at Charity
Navigator or Wise Giving Alliance. For
a more complete listing of charitable organizations, go to FEMA's
Web site or call (800) 440-6728, or check out Firstgov.gov,
the U.S. government's official Web site.
House
a hurricane victim
You've decided to open your home to Hurricane Katrina
victims but can't decide where to post your offer. What to do? While a wide range
of local organizations offer such services over the Web, remember to check with
your local Red
Cross chapter before you register your home with a lesser-known organization. Some
other organizations posting housing availability for victims: Locating family and friends The
Red Cross is compiling a database of the victims -- found and missing. Whether
you do it over the phone or on the Web, register missing and found family members'
names with the Red Cross. - Red Cross hot line for missing
persons: (877) LOVED-1S.
- Register your relatives with the International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
Advice for
Katrina victims For those hard-hit by Katrina, personal finances
may themselves be a disaster. Here's what you can do to cope with Katrina's effects:
- Protect your finances after
a disaster.
- Understand the ABCs of homeowners
insurance.
- Work on your taxes -- tax laws offer some relief
for victims.
- Veterans who were affected by Hurricane Katrina should
check with the Veteran Benefits
Administration for information regarding loans, payments and other matters.
Phone: (800) 827-1000
- Those receiving benefits payments from Social Security
in affected areas should check Social
Security alerts online, as well as mail distribution updates for Social Security
checks from the United
States Postal Service. To find the closest Social Security office nearest
you, call (800) 772-1213
Weathering the storm: Planning
ahead If you weren't directly affected by Hurricane Katrina,
but live in a disaster-prone area, remember that hurricane season isn't over.
Here's what you can do before there's an emergency. - Get
personal finances in order
before disaster strikes
- Develop a family disaster plan by disaster-proofing
your home and
your important papers.
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Compiled by: Leslie Hunt | 
