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September 2005

In this Issue

Hurricane Katrina Update

On Monday, August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina touched land in Louisiana, devastating lives in that state as well as Mississippi and Alabama. In the aftermath, New Orleans was incapacitated, Biloxi was destroyed, and thousands of people were left without homes and jobs. Hundreds lost their lives.

What We're Doing Now
Your local United Way listens to your concerns, partnering to meet those needs and ensure that your hard-earned and heartfelt investment reaches the people and programs you want helped. For example, you’ve told us that emergency response is important. You should know the following in the wake of Hurricane Katrina:

  • As a United Way investor, your 2004 Torch Drive contribution supported local allocations of $975,722 to the American Red Cross and $379,899 to the Salvation Army. Totaling more than $1.3 million, this investment in emergency relief helped these organizations stand at the forefront of relief efforts, prepared to respond.
  • United Way for Southeastern Michigan is partnering with the City of Detroit to aid evacuees, bring them to our region and help them re-build their lives.
  • Our Tel-Help/2-1-1 department is defining the best way to provide information and referral services to victims today and evacuees in the future.
  • United Way’s George W. Romney Volunteer Center is mobilizing the efforts of individuals who want to lend their time and talents to the relief effort, linking them with organizations in need of volunteers.

What We'll Do in the Future
United Way builds partnerships to maximize your dollar’s ability to help meet immediate needs. United Way also uses those same alliances to plan for the longer-term healing and rebuilding phase to come.

Our experience with the Oklahoma bombings, September 11th, Hurricane Andrew and other community tragedies has taught us that the impact of the event continues long after emergency response efforts have ended. In fact, help is still being provided to many of these victims in the form of medical, mental health and other services.

United Ways will still be involved with the Hurricane Katrina recovery months and years from now, assisting people in the ways they need most – childcare, employment training, wellness support, housing or other areas. Your investment in United Way will help ensure that today’s victims can become tomorrow’s success stories.

How You Can Help
Please understand that your giving does not have to be exclusive: You can support individuals and families affected by Hurricane Katrina and help ensure our community’s stability simply by contributing to this year’s United Way campaign. To donate:

United Way's Metro Detroit Hurricane Katrina Response Fund - United Way for Southeastern Michigan will assist our local community in working with evacuees who come to southeast Michigan. This response fund will support both the short and long-term needs of evacuees and their families to rebuild their lives in our area. Click here to donate to this fund.

American Red Cross – Visit www.semredcross.org or call 1-800-HELP NOW

Salvation Army – Visit www.salvationarmyusa.org or call 1-800-SAL-ARMY

To discuss supplemental fundraising opportunities, please call 313.226.9300

As always, thank you for your continued support of United Way and what matters.