Residents Asked To Phone Before Donating Goods
Release Date: August 22, 2004
Release Number: 1539-024
» More Information on Florida Hurricane Charley and Tropical Storm Bonnie
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Generous donations of clothing, food and other items for survivors of Hurricane Charley are overtaxing some of the facilities intended to help the storm’s victims get state and federal assistance.
Disaster officials reported Saturday that several of the ten recovery centers established to provide information to residents have received donations they are not equipped to disburse.
“Recovery centers assist folks who have registered and have questions or need to use a telephone to register,” said Bill Carwile of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), federal coordinating officer for recovery operations. “Laudable as the donations are, they can hamper this mission.”
Floridians are encouraged to coordinate their donations by calling 1-800-354-3571 (FLHELP1) to learn what items are needed and where they can be dropped off. “Volunteer organizations will distribute donated items as needed in every disaster county,” said Craig Fugate of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, the state coordinating officer.
The State Emergency Response Team is a collaboration of Florida’s emergency management agencies led by the state coordinating officer. Our mission is to ensure that Florida is prepared to respond to emergencies, recover from them, and mitigate against their impacts. For the latest information on the hurricane relief effort, visit http://www.floridadisaster.org.
On March 1, 2003, FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. FEMA's continuing mission within the new department is to lead the effort to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates proactive mitigation activities, trains first responders, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.
Last Modified: Sunday, 29-Aug-2004 19:16:15