Federal and State Officials Urge Cash Donations Rather than Used Clothing
Release Date: October 6, 2005
Release Number: 1605-056
» More Information on Alabama Hurricane Katrina
MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- Recovery officials have a growing problem and are asking the public to help.
There has been an overwhelming response by Alabamians to the call for donations for those affected by Hurricane Katrina. Unfortunately, when those well intentioned donations come in the form of used clothing from individuals and community groups, hidden processing costs pose a number of complications that far outweigh the intended benefit to storm survivors.
Used clothing requires valuable and scarce resources such as time, money, and personnel to sort, clean, and distribute it. Scores of volunteers or relief workers are diverted from other, more critical, recovery activities. The Alabama Multi-Agency Warehouse doesn’t have the people or the ability to accept these types of donations. Truckloads of supplies that don't meet the needs of the receiving organization could end up filling vital space in warehouses or eventually becoming part of the garbage removed during the cleanup phase.
“We appreciate the thought, but a far more practical thing to do with used clothing is to have a yard sale to raise money for the disaster relief organizations that provide goods and services that disaster survivors really need, “ said State Coordinating Officer and Alabama Emergency Management Agency Director Bruce Baughman.
How can you help?
- Before beginning any sort of collection drive, it is important to first call the State of Alabama Volunteer and Donations Hotline or the charitable agency you are interested in donating to and confirm that there is a need for the donation and that they are able to accept the contribution.
- Remember, the most effective way the public can assist disaster relief organizations is through contributions of money or in-kind goods and services that the organizations really need.
For more information on donating to or volunteering for Hurricane Katrina recovery activities, please go to www.servealabama.gov or call the Alabama Volunteer and Donations Hotline at 877-273-5018.
FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains first responders, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
Last Modified: Thursday, 06-Oct-2005 15:40:16