From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation
Subject: [GLAAD Southeastern Update] Targeted Hurricane Katrina LGBT Relief Fund
We continue to be encouraged by the outpouring of support from our community to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Please visit GLAAD.org or read the information below for giving opportunities.
Best,
Rashad Robinson
Director of Regional Media
GLAAD–Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation
248 35th St., 8th Fl.
New York, NY 10001-2505
Phone: 212.629.3322 ext. 617
Fax: 212.629.3225
robinson@glaad.org
An Urgent Plea,
In Hurricane Katrina, Mother Nature provided an awesome reminder of her power, and the power of the indomitable spirit of our fellow Americans.
The complete destruction of cities, towns, and neighborhoods in the poorest states in our union, and the complete loss of everything for so many, is almost unfathomable. Thousands of families have absolutely nothing to go home to and hundreds more people are still looking for their families.
We are awed and humbled by the spirit of community that has emerged in our country in countless ways over the past few days; and we honor the courage and hope shown by so many who are still suffering.
In the face of their strength, now is the time to act.
In collaboration with many organizations around the country, today NYAC and our partners are launching the “Hurricane Katrina LGBT Relief Fund” to ensure that LGBT youth and families, among the most vulnerable members of our community, receive the critical support they need to regain stability in their lives.
The next few days are critical. No amount is too small to make a difference.
Outstanding national partners are working closely with NYAC to support this effort and are listed below. More groups are joining all the time. You can invest in this life-saving effort right now at https://www.nyacyouth.org/.
Contributions to the fund are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed under law and will support humanitarian relief for LGBTQ youth and families from the devastated areas. These funds will be distributed directly to local organizations in the best position to ensure strategic and high-impact disbursement of the emergency funds.
As a first step, on September 6th the Houston Area Teen Coalition of Homosexuals (H.A.T.C.H.) and Montrose Counseling Center will host one of a series of special support groups for the refugees to help them manage their stress, grief, and fear. NYAC will be shifting our own resources to be there on the ground to offer support and assistance to local organizers.
Find out more about the impact of your gift in the coming weeks on a new blog on our website. Thank you for your investment today in protecting and restoring the lives of LGBTQ young people and their families.
We will get through this together.
Partner Organizations:
Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere (COLAGE)
https://www.colage.org/
Equality Federation
https://www.federationlgbt.org/
Family Pride Coalition
https://www.familypride.org
Mautner Project: The National Lesbian Health Organization
https://www.mautnerproject.org/
National Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Centers (NALGBTCC)
https://www.lgbtcenters.org/
National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC)
https://www.nbjcoalition.org/
National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE)
https://www.nctequality.org/
National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP)
https://www.ncavp.org/
National Youth Advocacy Coalition (NYAC)
https://www.nyacyouth.org
(Source: GLAAD press release via email from Rex Wockner)
XGW Postscript: Donations for General Katrina Relief: The Red Cross wastes a substantial percentage of donations on administrative costs. Native Texan syndicated columnist Molly Ivins recommends an alternative:
If you know that the Red Cross and United Way and a lot of the big name charities have been scandal-plagued and are top-heavy with bureaucracy, but you’d still like to make a donation that will actually help the poorest citizens of New Orleans, Biloxi, and the many small Southern towns devastated by Katrina, you should do so through the American Friends Service Committee. Founded by Quakers in 1917 to provide conscientious objectors with an opportunity to aid civilian war victims, the AFSC (together with its British counterpart) won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1947 for its work with World War II refugees — especially prisoners liberated from Nazi concentration camps — and its opposition to nuclear weapons. It’s still Quaker-run, and its sterling history of agitation and education for peace is matched by its long record, for nearly a century, of leanly-run, effective, on-the-ground service to victims of war and famine, and to the impoverished both here and abroad. (The AFSC also has an extensive LGBT program.) A gift to the AFSC won’t be wasted.
(Source: Molly Ivins endorsement via Doug Ireland)