Hurricane Charley Relief DIY style

This is the original e-mail that was sent to over 5000 people in Pinellas county.

You all have seen the pictures on TV and you all know that Charley was destined for us!
I put my business on hold in an effort to start a grass roots Relief effort!
The National Guard, power companies from as far as Michigan down to Louisiana and east are doing their job to help the hardest hit, but what about the people who where not in or near the eye of the storm? They will have to wait a week or longer to get support!
PLEASE THINK ABOUT THIS! Charley was bound for us – everybody in the Tampa Bay area! IT IS TIME FOR US TO DO SOMETHING because we would be just as happy to see a truck with plywood, canned food, and water roll in, if it would have been us!
Everybody can donate blood or money to the Salvation Army (http://www1.salvationarmy.org) or the Red Cross (http://www.redcross.org) but it will take a while to reach the people and homes that are still salvageable!
Read this article in the St Pete Times and you see that FEMA is overwhelmed:
http://www.sptimes.com/2004/08/17/Weather/As_survivors_wait_in_.shtml
I call on you to join me to donate your time and/or resources to go and help out! I am very handy and have almost all power tools and ladders you can imagine. I am looking for people to join me for a grass roots Relief effort to Charlotte county and/or Polk county.
I am also looking for people in the storms pass whom’s houses are not a complete lost and can be patched up with some plywood, tar, or tarp. I am looking especially for the elderly and poor families who don’t have any relatives in the area to help.
Please call me with this information – ANYTIME! 727-773-4726
The idea is not to do rebuilding but do a patch up job so these people have a dry room to live in until their insurance money and the construction crew comes through.
LETS GIVE THESE PEOPLE SOME DIGNITY AND HOPE !!!!!!!!!
Any volunteers should call me!
Also I am looking to borrow the following equipment - and YES it will be returned!
- Generator
- Pickup truck / Van (preferably with driver)
- Compressor with nail gun
BTW, I returned my newly acquired DVD burner and bought a chainsaw!
Here is a list of things that are needed in case you like to donate supplies:
· Bottled water
· Pillows
· Blankets
· Sleeping bags
· Ready to eat foods
· Diapers
· Mosquito Repellent
· Paper Towels & Wet Wipes
· Lysol
· Plywood
· Caulk, Silicone, Roofing tar.
· Deckmate Screws
· Silicone
· 2x4s (8,10 or 12 foot long)
· Tarp, heavy duty plastic sheeting (on a roll)

Please call me a.s.a.p. to keep the “PINELLAS DIY RELIEF EFFORT” rolling!
We’ll be in Arcadia on Wednesday helping a sick elderly couple move out of their destroyed mobile home and dropping off supplies at the Red Cross shelter. Of course we’ll see what else we can do. Thursday we’ll be in Polk County helping with the cleanup.
Friday and Saturday we are renting a 6 foot Trailer Grill and are going to Port Charlotte to BBQ 5000 hotdogs at the Red Cross or Salvation Army distribution points (waiting for the Port Charlotte Sheriffs Department to get back to us on the exact location).
We still need donations in form of hot dogs, buns, BBQ propane gas tanks, coolers, ice, and of course volunteers with a van or pickup.
Cindy will be here all day to coordinate the relief effort and receive donations… you can call her at 813-426-3329 (we are located near 38th Ave. N and 4th Street N.).
Please forward this e-mail to everybody in your address book.
With much appreciation,
Kai
727-776-4726 or 813-426-3329

Pinellas Business Solutions, Inc.
See www.flpbs.com for updates (Click on the Hurricane Charley Relief link)
204 - 37th Ave NE Suite 131
St. Petersburg, FL 33703
All e-mail responses should be sent to charley-help@pinellasbs.com

Other Resources And Numbers:

Polk County needs volunteers for the cleanup! Contact United Way at 863-648-1515 or 800-881-8929

Florida State Emergency Operation Center: 800 FL HELP1

Polk County Recovery Operations Center for Volunteers: 866-661-0228

Port Charlotte Sheriffs Department: 941-639-2101

The Humane Society has 50 cats and 27 dogs brought back from Charlotte County available for adoption. Call (727) 797-7722 for details.

Pinellas Country Donations Drop Center:

Goodyear Auto Service Center
1196 Cleveland Street
Clearwater, FL. 33755
(727) 446-8311

Goodyear Auto Service Center
4115 East Bay Drive
Clearwater, FL. 33764
(727) 536-9404

Goodyear Auto Service Center
806 East Tarpon Ave.
Tarpon Springs, FL. 34689
(727) 937-4179

Gift of the Heart is seeking essentials such as toilet articles, kitchen utensils, bedding kits, buckets, sponges, brushes and food staples such as salt, pepper, sugar, powdered milk, instant coffee, dry beans and rice. They also take medicine kits with adult and children's aspirin and adult multiple vitamins. Gifts should be packed with a personal note from Gift of the Heart. For information, call (785) 273-6710.

Other Numbers
*Dial 211 or (727) 562-1542 on a cell phone to find out how you can donate or volunteer in the communities affected by the storm.
*Call the American Red Cross at 866-GETINFO for if you have a disaster-related emergency need.
*Call 800-HELPNOW to make a financial gift to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.
*Call (813) 274-0900 or (727) 535-3545 or go to http://www.uwtb.org to help victims of Hurricane Charley through the United Way of Tampa Bay.

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