RAT FW: [Fwd: What is urgently needed now at Ground Zero]

[Lizzyburn@aol.com]

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From: Wanda Phipps <wanda.interport@rcn.com>
Date: Thu, 13 Sep 2001 11:46:23 -0400
Subject: [Fwd: What is urgently needed now at Ground Zero]

More info. on how you can help.


From: BlackmanPR@aol.com
Date: Thursday, September 13, 2001 12:26 AM
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Subject: What is urgently needed now at Ground Zero

Thanks to everyone who has bounced back with information from the front. The
following is information on critical supplies and food donations needed for
relief workers, another way to donate to the Red Cross, advice for those
living downtown, a list of the most current hotline numbers for friends and
family searching for loved ones, etc. Please forward to your lists and pitch
in any way you can. Please. - Nicole B.

----------------------------------------
URGENTLY NEEDED SUPPLIES
My friend Sue is volunteering at Ground Zero, at the canteen/relief area for
the firefighters, rescue workers and police. They have very specific needs
to 
get them through this, so if you want to help, here's what to donate:

DRINKS: They love Gatorade especially (it goes the fastest at the
distribution centers), sports drinks, juice, two liter bottles water,
especially the vitamin waters, and sodas. Cans and small bottles or even the
juice boxes are preferred, except for the water, which they need in two
liter 
bottles if possible, for the extremely fatigued and dehydrated rescue
workers. They do not have cups, so individual containers are most useful.

FOOD: Sandwiches. All kinds. If you are bringing sandwiches, wrap them in
cellophane, saran wrap or tin foil; ziplock baggies are best, and if you can
PLEASE mark them with what they are. So many sandwiches were donated,
unmarked and wrapped only in paper towels and by the time they got to the
site, they were in terrible shape and had to be thrown away. They don't need
candy bars, but I"m sure energy bars will be. Packaged items like cookies,
chips, popcorn, pretzels etc are appreciated. Yes on fruit like oranges,
apples, bananas, but nothing else perishable or delicate or that needs
preparation, no tins or cans of soup (they have no way to open, heat and
serve them). Think picnic for one or a kid's school lunch, with no forks or
spoons or heating needed.

OTHER: Ice, construction helmets, heavy duty gloves and goggles,
flashlights, 
batteries, Band aids, Advil, over the counter medications, vitamins, eye
drops, and lots of socks.  Trolleys, or shopping carts, so they can pack
stuff in and move it. If you have an old shopping cart you can donate them,
that would be tremendous to help them move supplies from place to place.
Bring them to donation centers in your area and they will be brought
downtown 
to Ground Zero. 

If you want to help or bring your donations down yourself, volunteers should
go to the west side highway and walk down, around North Moore. Don't ask the
cops where to go or whom to check in with, since they really don't know and
they have other things to do. Sue says ask civilians "What can I do to help?
Who should I talk to?" and they'll pretty much point you out to one of the
relief centers/canteens. She's become rather well known in the area, so ask
for the tall blonde, Sue, and you may find her yourself. Tell her I sent you
and she'll get you to work right away.

For anyone hoping to make it to the morgue on the west side highway to make
relief donations to the workers there, that has basically been shut. The
bodies are going on the boats out.  Brooks Brothers downtown has now also
been turned into a morgue.

REMEMBER: Keep it coming all week. Don't donate everything tomorrow and say
"I did a lot on Thursday, so I'm done." They will need donations all week,
perhaps for weeks. Donations in dribs and drabs are probably better than a
massive dump all at once, so there is a steady flow of food and supplies.
"The dent we made today is nothing compared to what we need," says Sue. "We
had massive amounts of stuff this morning and it's all gone. Gone. Next week
those relief workers will still need supplies and something to eat."

Many of these relief workers are on 12-14 hour shifts, and a turkey
sandwich, 
bottle of Gatorade, an orange, and perhaps a clean pair of socks may not
sound like much, but will be so appreciated by someone doing the hardest
work 
of their lives.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
VOLUNTEER:
the Red Cross of NY has a form so anyone interested in volunteering can fill
out at their website so they'll have you on file when/if they need you.
www.nyredcross.org
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
MONEY DONATIONS
For those wanting to make Red Cross donations, their website redcross.org
has 
been overwhelmed with responses, so you can make donations via credit card
through Amazon.com  Also, AOL now has a pop up window that says HOW TO HELP
when you log on. 

http://s1.amazon.com/paypage/PKAXFNQH7EKCX/103-4541745-3375821
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--

--------------------
HOTLINES:

HOTLINES FOR FRIENDS AND FAMILY
*   The city has set up an online locator board to help find relatives and
friends separated by the disaster. At the site, people can read or post
messages to relatives and friends. (Click on www.ny1.com for a direct link
to 
the site, it wasn't transferred with this msg) For further information, call
917-363-9421. 

*   The city has set up a hotline to answer questions about the rescue
effort 
(when possible) from concerned family members and friends of potential
victims: 212-560-2730.

*   Family members and relatives of NYPD employees who have not heard from
their loved ones are asked to call 718-677-8328.

*   For more information about firefighters and FDNY rescue workers,
families 
and relatives can call 718-999-2541.

*   About 2,000 Port Authority employees worked at the World Trade Center,
and the PA has set up a number for relatives of employees searching for
information. That number is 973-565-5505. You can also try 5506 and 5507.

*   The Port Authority is also asking all employees who were supposed to
show 
up to work at the World Trade Center on Tuesday to call a special number:
973-565-5501. You can also try 5502, 5503 or 5504.

*   Morgan Stanley, which had offices in the World Trade Center, has set up
a 
number to for friends and family of its employees at 1-888-883-4391. They
were the largest company at WTC with some 22 floors, and 3500 or so
employees, even on the floors directly hit by one of the planes. Word is,
stunningly, most of them made it out.

*   Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield, whose headquarters were located in the
World Trade Center, are requesting employees to call 1-866-761-8265.

*   American Airlines has set up a hotline for relatives who may have been
on 
their downed flights, at 1-800-245-0999.

*   For United Airlines, call 1-800-932-8555 or go to www.united.com.

*   St. Vincent's Hospital, which is treating many of the victims, can be
reached at 212-604-7285. Any doctors or nurses that can help treating
patients are asked to call the hospital at 212-604-8478.

*   The U.S. government family hotline can be reached at 1-800-331-0075.

*   The city has also set up a hotline for all non-emergency calls, and
officials are asking that you avoid using 911 unless it is necessary. The
hotline is 212-560-2730.

*   If you'd like to donate blood, which is desperately needed, please call
the New York Blood Center at 1-800-933-BLOOD for information on how to do
so. 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
IF YOU OR ANYONE YOU KNOW LIVES DOWNTOWN:
>From Yvonne: "Remind everyone to call their friends who live in the 'hood
between 14th street and the WTC - we're still being told to stay in our
homes 
and it's still spooky outside & frustrating because we can't really get
around! [I know seems minor but...]
also PLEASE tell any friends who have asthma to please be careful - the air
quality is really really bad..." (wear those white respiratory masks or if
you are visiting a friend downtown, bring them some, ask them what they
might 
need, pet food, etc).

Also the Village Voice is doing obits: they really want to get as many as
they can to give tribute to everyone who's suffering so please get this info
out to as many people as you can."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Exhausted. More tomorrow. Please help.

Nicole





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