The Big DumpTruck

For those of you who want to donate to the Red Cross, to help get the basic necessities right to the people who need it most:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/philanthropy/red-cross.html/104-8552742-4709549


Additionally, I received an email from the president of Coffee Cup software, Nick Longo, that was sent out to their corporate mailing list. (I am a user of their FTP software). They raised 1 million dollars for 9/11, and 50k for the Tsunami victims. Now they want to help the Hurricane victims.

They are located in Corpus Christi, TX, and are offering their warehouse for storage and their staff and trucks for delivery of the "non-essential" stuff that will help the tens of thousands of refugees arriving in Texas to get through the dark, dreary days when they'll be living in shelters with not much more than the clothes on their backs. Because the Red Cross and other relief organizations are handling the basics like food and water, Coffee Cup is recommending people donate "goods". Over 25,000 people will be arriving at the Houston Astrodome in the next day or so, and Coffee Cup wants to help provide them with toiletries, small toys, and other items that will make life a little more bearable. They don't want money, food or water.

You can buy things from online vendors like Amazon, Target and Staples, and have them delivers right to Coffee Cup, or you can pack up your own boxes and mail them. Here is the address, and a list of some of the items that would be very welcomed. He says that they'll be documenting the effort with webcams and photos.

Coffee Cup Software
c/o Hurricane Aid
226 South Tancahua Street
Corpus Christi, TX 78401


Diapers, Baby Wipes, Infant Care Items
Personal Care Items (Soap, razors, shaving cream, toothpaste, hygiene items)
Clothing (socks, underwear, shirts, shoes, pants)
Phone calling cards, batteries, FM radios, walkie-talkies
Toys (books, drawing paper, Coloring books, crayons, puzzles, any activity toy, small stuffed animals/dolls/action figures) [Jody's note: I'd try to keep these things small - I was thinking about the little handheld electronic games, or travel games]

I will also let Nick know that I'm posting this on my site, just to help get the word out. I think it's great that they are willing to use their warehouse, staff and time to do this. For a child who just lost everything, having a stuffed animal to hold can mean the world.

In a perfect world, where I had unlimited funds, I would start an effort to send backpacks to each child, containing fruit snacks, a stuffed animal, crayons, drawing paper, and a book. That way they'd have the backpack to store their things so they wouldn't have to worry about losing them again.

Thanks for reading this far.