A special message about Katrina relief

TFM editors have received numerous announcements about generous and charitable donations being made by businesses across the country. However, this request for accommodation goes out specifically to anyone within a 300 mile radius of the Hurricane Katrina impact zone. If you have extra dorm space, warehouse space, or other surplus space in your facility or on your campus, please speak with the appropriate authorities to see if they’d be willing to consider making temporary space for these refugees. If you personally have an extra room (kids back to college) or even a fold out sofa and live near this devastation, think about what would happen if you were in need of a comfortable bed, a hot shower, and somewhere safe to stay.

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Tens of thousands of newly homeless families are being bused to a stadium in Houston, where they may wait for weeks or months. At least 80,000 are competing for area shelters, and countless more are in motels, cars, or wherever they can stay out of the elements. The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Red Cross are scrambling to find shelter for the displaced.

There is now an emergency national housing drive to connect empty beds with hurricane victims who desperately need a place to wait out the storm. If you have–or NEED–housing (a spare room, extra bed, even a decent couch) you can post it here.

Housing is most urgently needed within reasonable driving distance (about 300 miles) of the affected areas in the Southeast, especially New Orleans. But no matter where you live, your housing could still make a world of difference to a person or family in need, so please offer what you can.

The process is simple:

You can sign up to become a host by posting a description of whatever housing you have available, along with contact information. You can change or remove your offer at any time.

Hurricane victims, local and national relief organizations, friends and relatives can search the site for housing. Offers will be directed to those who need it most. Many shelters actually already have Internet access, but folks without ‘net access can still make use of the site through case workers and family members.

Hurricane victims or relief agencies will contact hosts and together decide if it’s a good match and make the necessary travel arrangements. The host’s address is not released until a particular match is agreed on.

If hosting doesn’t work for you, please consider donating to the Red Cross to help with the enormous tasks of rescue and recovery.