California Donations Hotline To Close
Release Date: November 14, 2003
Release Number: 1498-24
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PASADENA, Calif. -- Donated goods and volunteers for the California wildfires are in ample supply, state and federal emergency officials reported today.
"Because of the generous and wonderful outpouring of donations that have come from every corner of America, additional supplies are not needed at this time," said Dallas Jones, Director of the Governor's Office of Emergency Services (OES).
"Monetary contributions to the relief effort continue to be well received by charities and others that help provide disaster relief," said William Carwile, III, Federal Coordinating Officer for the Southern California Wildfires.
Officials from the OES and FEMA expressed their appreciation to all those organizations and individuals whose outpouring of immense support and donations have helped to ease the burden upon local communities.
"These donations have been instrumental in assisting individuals as they begin a successful transition to a full recovery," said Jones.
The Governor's Office on Service and Volunteerism, OES, FEMA and affected local communities request that states refrain from sending additional people or resources, unless specifically requested to do so.
Because supplies are no longer needed, the OES Donations Hotline will cease operations Friday, November 14, Jones said.
Certain charities having a specific disaster assistance function have confirmed that they will continue to assist in the California Fire Disaster Relief effort. These charities can be found at the OES website by going to www.oes.ca.gov.
The Governor's Office of Emergency Services coordinates overall state agency response to major disasters in support of local government. The office is responsible for ensuring California's readiness to respond to and recover from natural, manmade, and war-caused emergencies, and for assisting local governments in their emergency preparedness, response, mitigation and recovery efforts.
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 Citizen Corps, the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.
Last Modified: Friday, 14-Nov-2003 14:02:53