HURRICANE: Local Efforts, Houston

The following Notice was sent to me by Fr John Salem, Pastor of St George Antiochian Orthodox Church in Houston, Texas. I’m posting it here as one example of the local efforts of an Orthodox community.

Hurricane Katrina Relief

Thank you all for the many inquiries into helping aid all the evacuees of this great disaster of the Gulf Coast. As of now, we will list the ways that you can help. I.O.C.C. (International Orthodox Christian Charities) has asked us to make Health Kits to be distributed. Please carefully follow the instructions:

Number 1
Buy a one-gallon plastic bag with a zipper closure and fill it with the following items:
1 hand towel
1 washcloth
1 comb
1 metal nail file or nail clipper
1 bar of soap
1 toothbrush
1 tube of toothpaste (4-7 ounces)
6 band-aids
For those who make many bags pack it in a cardboard box and secure it with packing tape and mark it with the words HEALTH KIT.
You may also bring blankets, diapers, towels and bottled water
You may bring these kits to the Church on Sunday or during office hours 8:30 A.M. – 4:30 P.M. on Tuesday thru Friday.

Number 2
If you are able to house any evacuees, please e-mail Sylvia Araj of I.O.C.C. [saraj@iocc.org]. Please let her know how many people that you can accommodate and for how long.

UPDATES
Fr. Peter Nugent of our sister parish, St. Basil in New Orleans will be at Liturgy this Sunday. His parish has been flooded and he will return Monday for a few hours to assess the damage. To his knowledge, all of his parishioners have evacuated safely.

I.O.C.C. is currently on the ground in Louisiana assessing the damage. They will be in Houston next Friday to meet with the Orthodox Clergy and Council members as to how to proceed with continued aid effort. This will be a prolonged effort of many months to come.

The Antiochian Archdiocese has asked all of its parishes to take collections the next two Sundays to help with relief.

Please keep all the survivors and those who have perished in this Great Disaster in your prayers.