Please be sure to Donate only to Certified 501 C3 Non Profit Organizations designed specifically to help people in New Orleans.   There are people & Organizations accepting monies in-appropriately for New Orleans relief.  Here are some important links below to help you deal with people asking for money or help on-Line,  that you may suspect of not delivering on their promise, or that may be in it for personal gain or as a business for profit.  Charitable fraud is a serious crime that victimizes people in an already difficult situation.  Never give cash, or to a business who asks you to pay them.  A charitable trust must be registered with the federal government by law and audited yearly.  As a rule make your check payable to the charity NOT the fund raiser.  That is the first sign of a mis-leading attempt to collect un-accountable cash or funds.  Remember a fundraiser is usually in it for profit.  Generally a fundraiser will retain a very large percentage of the monies collected.  Charities in these cases on average only yield a very small return. 

Commercial fundraisers are required by law to disclose that they are a for-profit organization.  In cases like this solicitations  can be misleading particularly at stores,  events,  and shopping centers.  In these cases a donor is given only superficial information and not told about costs or actual programs.  If you receive direct mail, letters brochures or printed media, Beware; especially if they do not contain detailed information about the charities program,  and about the costs of fundraising.  Ask the correct questions! and for written information about the programs and expenses.  Names of people, dates, percentages and who they work for is important.  It is important to know who and what you are giving to; never give your credit card number.   For profit companies or a commercial endeavor must file yearly with the attorney general,  and report all information and figures if they collect for a Charity.

August 29th. 30th. Night Time

May of our friends and loved ones are still missing and our hearts and prayers go out to everyone in New Orleans.  We are evacuating, and we are lost, many of us are in dire need of help, and many did not make it through the night.  This post is a last message before we continue the search to contact those missing on our staff and our friends.  We are stranded and have seen death today.  Yet among this we have also seen great acts of love and heroism.  New Orleans is a strong city and we will survive.  Our humanity will survive.  Our Love will survive.  Our cries for help are heard from our rooftops and many of us,  our friends are still in there homes.  Worry not for me,  I made it to higher ground, but cry for those still lost or missing in New Orleans.

August 31st. Day and Night

We will rebuild our wonderful city into the New Orleans of our dreams.  We all deserve a second chance.  Many of us are now located but are still  inside the historic homes of the city.  One dare not go too far.  One must wait.  Wait for help that will come.  It must come.  We made our homes by the sea and we grow old by the sea.  New Orleans is our home.  We  are New Orleans.  Thank God for wireless web hard to fathom posting live to the internet as refugees all of us.  It is a daily job just dealing with the fight to stay alive.  Others are less fortunate,  we have what we need that is why we dare not venture out least someone take it from us.  Some have had the things needed forcefully removed.  Humanity is in all of us each day.  The struggle continues.  Some have left,  found their way to a vehicle and a way out of the city.  Some have made it to the superdome but many of us remain waiting for help, help that must come. 

September 1

Where are the air drops, where is the National Guard, where are the officials we voted for.  Who will admit they are wrong about us. We are not going to make it another day. 4 days now no effort to bring water.  Elderly, Children, Baby's where is the water.  Congress passed a bill today great,  but how could they have enough time to pass a bill before they could even air drop a bottle of water.  Day 5 Begins.  A elderly man was rescued day before yesterday by helicopter, to be dropped of but he died today because there was no water to drink.  Who  will accept responsibility? who forgot the water?  Water that is all just basic water in a bottle.  How hard is that.  No one is at fault people are alive but now the rescued from the rooftops are dying at the rate of 10 or more per day because they have no water.