Katrina's Angels

Coordinating resources for the survivors of major natural disasters.

OUR RESULTS

Katrina's Angels is proud to share the accomplishments of our volunteers. What makes the results amazing is that they are produced by people volunteering their free time with virtually no financial resources. There are no paid positions in our organization. We are also sharing the results that our partner organizations produce with our support.

2013 Results

February:

Hurricane Sandy Aid: Joined efforts with the help of Katrina's Angels Community Coordinator Sandra Mahoney and fellow volunteer Mandy Bickerstaff of UWS Loves. Purchased ranges and microwaves from EBA and had them delivered and installed thereby providing means in which disaster survivors could safely prepare food for themselves and their neighbors. Katrina's Angels used EBA as the supplier as they are local so it helped to stimulate the local economy. For instance, one hurricane survivor in the Gerritsen Beach area received one of the microwaves and helped to feed approximately 250 people daily after the storm.

Katrina's Angels also donated some handmade afghans to be distributed to those in the area, and helped many families on our list keep warm with new winter apparel as well.

2012 Results

December:

Katrina's Angels donated two boxes full of brand new items: 60 pairs of beautiful new childrens socks, 2 scarves, 8 pairs of very new gloves & mittens plus several underwear items to the Gerritsen Beach area. Thanks to Omron, Inc.of Lake Forest, IL  for handling the drive among their staff.

November:

Hurricane Sandy Aid:  Homeland Security Customs & Boarder Patrol from Buffalo, NY had a truck going to NJ & NY filled with supplies and Katrina's Angels helped them fill that truck up with personal hygiene supplies, flashlights, hand sanitizer etc. A big thank you to the guys who drove the truck down, and to Financial Director Cheryl Bystrak who made sure Katrina's Angels donations made it onto the truck!

Thanks in part to a drive handled by Katrina's Angels HR Director Gigi Grizanti, a truck and u-haul left Tonawanda, NY with: warm clothes, sweaters, cleaning supplies, rubber gloves, sponges, blankets, rain gear, scarves, hats, make-up (yes, we sent make-up because us ladies feel a little better with some moisturizer and color), toiletries, socks, food, paper products, gasoline, etc! Thank you also to Chuck Gilbert, Victoria Gilbert, and Kimberly Kluge-Pruitt who organized that shipment of supplies to NYC to help victims of Hurricane Sandy!

Katrina's Angels Program Director received in kind-donations and sent 6 boxes full of supplies to Staten Island including 2 boxes of ladies and mens sweaters, jackets, and long-sleeved shirts including some mens 3XL; 1 box full of kids items including warm toddler boys clothing, a few jackets, pairs of gloves, scarves, hats; a box full of personal hygiene and other sample items; a box containing everything for a luxury queen sized bed from sheets and pillowcases to shams and comforter; a box full of kids shoes and a pair of new mens boots; plus some people food and dog food. All items were in excellent condition and for the appropriate fall/winter season. Thanks to volunteer Michele Tatela and the Hurricane Sandy Relief Run in northern Illinois.

On November 2, we received a message from Lawrencehealth.org. They wanted to thank us because with all the communication difficulties, "Your information is being used greatly at the hospitals in the affected areas." They were referring to our forum at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KatrinasAngelsinActionForum.

2011 Results

VA Flood Aid: Katrina's Angels Community Coordinator Janet Arp delivered the following to flood victims in Woodbridge, VA.: 16 boxes of laundry detergent, 32 cans of tomato and chicken noodle soup, 13 bars of soap, 1 shampoo, 2 dish soap, bag of razors, 4 stuffing mixes, 1 Adobo seasoning spice jar, 1 toothpaste, 2 body wash, 5 deodorants, 2 Twin Size comforters (new), Washrags, new Womens underwear (various sizes) 44 pairs total, new Kids socks (various sizes) 48 pairs, a bag of samples (toothpaste, floss, soaps), a few kids small toys and kids school folders.

JoplinTornado Aid: Donated a case of new full size color sheet sets (12 sets) and a case of bath towels in tan to be distributed by Help Us, Help Joplin ~ Families Helping Families in Joplin, MO following the May tornado

Helped fulfill the needs of over 60 families in 4 states following the April and May tornadoes while teaming up with several groups on the ground who verified families specific needs.

Donated approximately 10 sets of ornaments to Christmas in Dixie for Tornado Survivors

Donated 50 disposable charcoal grills to Disaster Relief for Spaulding County in Griffen, GA following the April tornadoes

Donated 6 child-size life jackets in two sizes and a box of children's items to Maarja Krump for ND flooding relief

2010 Results

Established new toll free number

Hosted Charity Raffle for Arkansas Flood Victims from Louisiana; Raised over $4,200 for the Smith and Basinger families

Assisted Neighbors Across the Land Disaster Relief & Recovery (NATLDRR.org) with flood survivors in both Iowa and Illinois

2009 Results

February:


Clarence, NY Clock Tower Dedication in honor of Flight 340

KA donated $250 toward this memorial located near the sight of the Flight 3407 air crash that cost 50 lives on February 18, 2009.

A banner displaying Katrina's Angels is now on display in Clarence.

class="MsoNormal">uot;Arial","sans-serif";">March,2009 Underwear & Sox - ;School Supplies Campaign in Denver, CO

KA Consultant Robin Peak and other KA volunteers joined Kohl's employee volunteer efforts in their community. KA then received $500 From Kohl's toward our Underwear and Sox Campaign for Galveston. See more in KA's blog here.

April, 2009 Underwear & Sox Drive for Galveston, TX

The Graduate Student Association of North Carolina Central University, Durham, N.C., led by Chief Executive Counselor Kenya Reed, held their own sock drive when they heard of our cause. Several boxes of donated socks were sent to Galveston Salvation Army in Galveston, TX on Tuesday April 21, 2009.

April, 2009 Severe flooding in Detroit Lakes, ND and surrounding area

Katrina’s Angels donated $250 toward United Way Flood Relief in Detroit Lakes, ND for cash assistance to flood victims.

May, 2009 Flooding near Prairie Du Sac, WI

Dave Frosch of Crystal Lake, WI informed Katrina’s Angels that a group of 15 to 17 mobile homes located on the lake were endangered by flood waters. They needed help. Fortunately, a pump was put in place to move some of the water into the Wisconsin River, therefore keeping the homes protected. Unfortunately, the pump ran 24/7 on diesel fuel that costs $2 a gallon. Considering that roughly 1,000 gallons of diesel are used every seven to ten days, it becomes obvious just how costly the water pump had become. The pumps needed to be up and running until September in order to prevent flooding. The people who will be impacted the most if the area flooded would be the permanent residents (17 residences) who do not have financial means to protect or restore their properties. Katrina’s Angels donated $300 toward the fuel costs to the Crystal Lake Emergency Fund to keep the pump running and prevent further damage. We also blogged and posted their needs everywhere we could.

June, 2009 Social Worker Contact

Hearing about our National Resource Directory, a social worker from Battle Creek, MI contacted Katrina’s Angels about needing medical equipment for a patient that was not supplied by Medicare. KA sent various resources and hopefully the proper information to help.

July, 2009 Yugsters.com

Thanks to some great voters, Katrina’s Angels won the monthly grant contest in the amount of $214.50!

September, 2009  Atlanta, GA Flood Relief

Following severe flooding in the Atlanta, GA area, Katrina's Angels partner Greg Conklin, Response Director of Neighbors Across the Land Disaster Relief & Recovery (natldrr.org), helped with cleanup and also delivered much-needed supplies, including handing out Katrina's Angels tote bags filled with personal hygiene and other items, four cases of school supplies, and other items provided by KA.

Gowanda, NY Flood Relief October, 2009
Yummy food Hungry people dig in
A Katrina's Angel volunteer fills relief bags
Look at all that yummy food!
Time to feed the youngest participants!

Katrina's Angels (KA) partner Greg Conklin, Response Director of Neighbors Across the Land Disaster Relief Recovery (NATLDRR) delivered water, hazmat suits, bleach, hygiene kits, and all other relief supplies to the local distribution center. This included cases of bleach, cases of water, and other items donated to KA by Home o vDepot. Loggers Donald Winter and his business partner acted as Hands-on Volunteer Angels cutting downed trees. Other KA Angels, Cheryl Bystrak and Amber Over, cooked and fed volunteers and victims at the shelter. Angel Mark Krawczyk assisted Greg with cleanup and delivery of the relief supplies, which also included a truckload of donated furniture received by NATLDRR. 

At Christmas, Katrina's Angels Vice-President and Financial Director, Cheryl Bystrak, got volunteers together and held a little party for ten of the largest families of flood victims that were not receiving help from other groups. Names were supplied by the Tri-County Recovery Center.  Pizza, cookies, and pop were served. Each child received a stocking filled to the brim with goodies and toys. Each child also received three toys supplied to Katrina's Angels by the US Marine Corps Toys for Tots Foundation.There were 34 children in all. And each family received a $50 gift certificate to purchase their Christmas dinner items, and a new, green Christmas throw blanket with a snowfake pattern on it. In addition, toys were also donated to a local group of families in need. And KA's very special family, a wounded Iraq veteran and his family, received a large amount of items to be used to restore the supplies and teaching items for their autistic son that had been lost.

Fundraising Auctions Always a Success

In addition, successful Katrina's Angels Fundraiser Auctions held by AuctionsRFun and on Missionfish continue to be a blessing to Katrina’s Angels.  Please continue to go to those sites and help us by purchasing some auction items. See http://www.katrinasangels.org/auctions.asp 

Katrina's Angels was able to accomplish the following measured results in 2008:

Alternative to Dumping - Going Green Project
Midwest Floods 2008…Iowa Flooding Project

Crystal Bevans, a Community Angel volunteer from Iowa State University, collected donations for us to give to Greg Conklin. Greg was 5 miles outside of Parkersburg, Iowa and was from Operation Love Thy Neighbor. Katrina’s Angels also sent $1,000 to help buy flood buckets and other supplies. Completed 6/24/08

Angel of the Month Award Created

2008 Winners: Oct - Resource Angel Shayna O'Kelley; Nov - Medical Angel MIkki Sullivan, RN; Dec - HR Angel MaryAlice Bartlett. Completed 8/20/08

Jenny Miller Holds Car Wash For KA in Okemos, MI

With her mother, Barb Lezotte, as Katrina’s Angels Community Coordiinator for the event, Jenny and her friends made around $350 which they donated to Katrina’s Angels to help flood survivors: http://katrinasangelsblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/jenny-millers-car-wash-success.html
(http://katrinasangelsblog.blogspot.com/2008/08/car-wash-fundraiser-in-michigan.html) Completed 8/23/08

Hurricane Gustav Response

Freecyclers in Sterling, VA sent lots of books, magazines, and kids learning books under the watchful eye of KA Consultant Janet Arp. One of the freecyclers even donated some paint kits and school supplies. These items went to Red Cross Shelters in Texas.  (http://katrinasangelsblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/katrinas-angels-sends-books-to-red.html) Completed 9/30/08

Katrina’s Angels was able to accomplish the following measured results in 2007:

August 24, 2007 Katrina's Angels was incorporated in the State of New York and is an official 501(c)3 Public Charity!

Schools, Libraries & Communities Project

 Lady Lake Tornado Victim Relief Baton Rouge Easter Project Aberdeen, SD Flood Relief
03/07/07 - Article published in the web site of WGRZ-TV Buffalo New York covering tornado damage in Americus, Georgia | Click here to read
03/18/07 - Article published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | Click here to read http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07077/769846-54.stm

Among other things, Katrina’s Angels was able to accomplish the following measured results in 2006:

 PARTNERS

2006 Partners include:
HANDS - Helping Americans Needing Disaster Support - www.hands.ms
Critters for Katrina’s Kids - a group that collects and distributes stuffed animals and toys to children of Hurricane Katrina in need

Katrina’s Angels was able to accomplish the following measured results in 2005:

Volunteers Registered: 800
Active Volunteers: 118     Evacuees Registered: 961
Evacuees Fully Served: 380     Housing Postings: 591
Housing Requests: 357     Job Postings: 160
Job Requests: 168


HOUSING DEPARTMENT
RESOURCE DEPARTMENT
TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT
MEDIA DEPARTMENT
LOGISTICS DEPARTMENT
PARTNERS

2005 Partners include:
Katrina’s Toybox - Joined 10/12/05 - An organization dedicated to providing toys for children evacuated by Hurricane Katrina.
Housing For Katrina - Joined 11/18/05 - A national web site with database for housing postings
Mission From Minnesota - Joined 11/28/05 - An organization bringing people from the Northern USA to provide services to the affected regions of the American Gulf.

Some results we helped our partners to produce include:
11/18/05 - Katrina's Toy Box mentioned on WWL talk Radio. Angels in Action Forum began receiving numerous requests for help with other needs.