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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PR- 333-05
August 30, 2005

MAYOR BLOOMBERG ANNOUNCES CITY'S RELIEF AND FUNDRAISING EFFORTS FOR VICTIMS OF HURRICANE KATRINA

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Office of Emergency Management (OEM) Commissioner Joseph Bruno today announced that the City will be deploying an Urban Search and Rescue Team (New York Task Force One NYTF-1) to Camp Shelby in Hattiesburg, Mississippi at the request of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The Mayor also urged New Yorkers who want to help to make donations to an established charity like the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, or through the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City, which will distribute donations to disaster relief agencies.

"We have all seen the devastating images of the damage that Hurricane Katrina has caused in the southeast United States," said Mayor Bloomberg. "On behalf of all New Yorkers, I offer our heartfelt sympathy to the families and friends of those who have perished in this terrible tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with all the people in the area who have been impacted by this disaster, and we are eager to do everything possible to help. New Yorkers will never forget the extraordinary support we received following the dark days after 9/11 and how much it meant to our City. One way that each of us can offer support is by making a donation to an organization that provides disaster relief."

"We are working with FEMA and local governments in Louisiana to see what assets New York City may be able to provide to assist in the rescue and recovery efforts," said Office of Emergency Management (OEM) Commissioner Joseph Bruno. "New Yorkers should remember that at this point the best way to help is to donate to one of the charitable organizations operating in the impacted area."

NYTF-1 is managed by the Office of Emergency Management and includes approximately 210 members from NYPD, FDNY, and OEM who become a federal asset in times of emergencies. There are 28 teams nationwide and eight teams have been deployed already. In addition, there are already two members of NYTF-1 who are in position to support operations in the Southeast. OEM will continue working on putting together resources that will be available to local and Federal officials as they assess the impacted zones.

The Mayor's Fund was established in 1994 to serve as the umbrella not-for-profit corporation for the City of New York and is a publicly supported, not-for-profit corporation, dedicated to working closely with the City.

The Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City raises money to promote the general welfare of the City's residents and aid civic improvements. The Fund supports the work of many City Agencies including Education, Parks, Health, and Cultural Affairs, and raises funds for many quality of life initiatives.

Donations can be sent in the form of a check to: Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City, City Hall, New York, NY 10007 with a note on the check that the donation is for "Hurricane Katrina Relief."

Additional organizations doing work on the ground and accepting monetary donations:

American Red Cross
1-800-HELP NOW (435-7669) English
1-800-257-7575 Spanish

Operation Blessing
1-800-436-6348
America's Second Harvest
1-800-344-8070
 

Additional Organizations accepting monetary donations and volunteer:

Adventist Community Services
1-800-381-7171

Catholic Charities, USA
1-800-919-9338
Christian Disaster Response
941-956-5183 or 941-551-9554

Christian Reformed World Relief Committee
1-800-848-5818

Church World Service
1-800-297-1516 ext. 222

Convoy of Hope
417-823-8998

Lutheran Disaster Response
1-800-638-3522

Mennonite Disaster Service
717-859-2210

Nazarene Disaster Response
1-888-256-5886

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance
1-800-872-3283

Salvation Army
1-800-SAL-ARMY (725-2769)

Southern Baptist Convention --Disaster Relief
1-800-462-8657, ext. 6440

United Methodist Committee on Relief
1-800-554-8583

 

For further information: visit the website for the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD) at: http://www.nvoad.org/ or call 311.






MEDIA CONTACT:


Edward Skyler/ Silvia Alvarez   (212) 788-2958

Jarrod Bernstein   (Emergency Management)
(718) 422-4831




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