By NICK BUGLIONE
David Rothman, of East Meadow Kiwanis, is governor-elect of the New York state district of Kiwanis and is helping spearhead fund-raising efforts of clubs throughout the state.
³I¹m going to be the point person for down state and I have a guy in Albany who is coordinating efforts upstate,² Rothman said. ³We have secured some storage facilities and we¹re going to eventually accept donations of clothing.²
Rothman said he will be in constant contact with Kiwanis clubs in the Gulf Coast area and will follow their directions on what to do with any money collected.
East Meadow Chamber of Commerce President John Arigo said his organization is mulling a fund-raiser to benefit Hurricane Katrina relief. ³We¹re thinking about one fund-raiser we were going to do and instead of keeping the money, we¹ll maybe give it to the relief efforts,² Arigo said. ³I¹d like to do something. It¹s a nightmare down there. It¹s incredible.²
Though East Meadow Knights of Columbus Pope Pius XII Council didn¹t have any formal plans at press time, member Al Lorie said he was sure in the coming week it would be joining the cause. ³We have a meeting coming up and I¹m sure it¹s going to be one of the items for discussion,² Lorie said. ³I¹m sure we¹re going to be doing something.²
Bishop William Murphy, meanwhile, has authorized all 133 parishes in the Diocese of Rockville Centre, including St. Raphael¹s Roman Catholic Church in East Meadow, to begin a special collection for Hurricane Katrina at weekend services.
The money raised will then be forwarded to Catholic Charities USA, which will make sure it¹s distributed to the appropriate relief organizations.
Rabbi Judith Cohen-Rosenberg, of the Community Reform Temple in Salisbury, said her congregation will be taking up a collection as well. ³We¹ll be announcing that we will be participating in the collection of funds that will be donated through the Union of Reform Judaism human relief fund,² she said.
While Calvary Lutheran Church will too be seeking donations from its congregants, the Rev. Andrew Jagow said he hopes his church will be involved in long-term recovery efforts. ³It would be great to take part in the actual rebuilding,² he said. ³But I haven¹t even thrown that out to the church elders yet.²
Meanwhile, the American Red Cross is mobilizing the largest relief efforts in its history, and the Nassau County chapter is looking for donations and volunteers.
³A hurricane of this magnitude is a true act of nature, something totally beyond our control,² said Frank Cassano, American Red Cross Nassau County CEO. ³We can make a difference, though, by responding to those who desperately need our help.²
Many other local and national charitable agencies have offered assistance, including the United Way, the Salvation Army, America¹s Second Harvest, Catholic Charities USA, the United Jewish Appeal, Lutheran Disaster Response, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and the United Methodist Committee on Relief. The volunteer agencies provide a wide variety of services in the wake of disasters, including cleanup, child-care, housing repair and crisis counseling, as well as providing shelter and food.
On Tuesday, Sept. 6 Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi announced a plan to provide more than 100 evacuees with temporary housing and also encouraged residents to donate to the relief effort.
FEMA officials have said that cash donations to these organizations are the most effective way to help at this point. ³[Cash donations] allow volunteer agencies to issue cash vouchers to victims so they can meet their needs,² said Michael D. Brown, under secretary of homeland security for emergency preparedness and response. ³Cash donations also allow agencies to avoid the labor-intensive need to store, sort, pack and distribute donated goods.²
Andrew Coen contributed to this story. Comments about it? NBuglione@liherald.com (516) 569-4000 ext. 236.
