Inspired Video! "Do They Know It's Christmas?" Benefit Hurricane Survivors

Donate as you are able to help the survivors:

Rebuild the Coast Fund
<http://www.rebuildthecoastfund.org/>

America's Second Harvest
<http://www.secondharvest.org/>

Network for Good
<http://www.networkforgood.org/>

Grassroots People-Led Katrina Relief
<http://katrina.mayfirst.org/>

Tell Congress to resurrect and fully fund the Democratic Katrina Emergency Relief Plan!

On September 8, 2005, Democratic Party Senators introduced: The Democratic Katrina Emergency Relief Plan, which provides the critical medical coverage, housing, education and financial assistance needed to assist the Gulf Coast Victims.

Key elements of the bill include:

* Providing Medical coverage:
o Provide Katrina survivors with health coverage through Medicaid wherever they are now;
o Ease enrollment in states’ Medicaid programs and provide services to survivors without regard to assets or income;
o Guarantee full federal funding for Medicaid for survivors in new states; and
o Provide full federal funding for Medicaid programs in directly-affected states.

* Housing for the homeless:
o Provide emergency housing vouchers for evacuees;
o Expedite applications procedures so evacuees can find housing;
o Provide time for Survivors to find work before tenant contributions are required; and
o Identify federal facilities to house victims.

* Keeping kids in the classroom:
o Award $2,500 grants per student and other assistance to school districts receiving displaced students; and
o Provide temporary assistance to early childhood education programs and agencies receiving displaced children.

* Helping Americans get back on their feet:
o Give the victims a moratorium of 180 days on any loan payments or other obligations to the federal government;
o Waive any limitations on total assistance to individuals;
o Provide mortgage and rental relief to protect Americans from foreclosure or eviction;
o Ease bankruptcy laws for victims; and
o Extend and expand unemployment insurance for victims.

In addition to Senators Feinstein, Reid, and Landrieu, co-sponsors of the bill include Senators Joseph Biden (D-Del.), Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Jon Corzine (D-N.J.), Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), Carl Levin (D-Mich.), Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.), Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), Barak Obama (D-Ill.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), John Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), Ken Salazar (D-Colo.), and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.).

"The Peace Sign Kid."The little boy in the picture is Tony. Tony Vata. That child, standing in his 2nd story bedroom in Slidell - as his family rebuilds - is the centerpiece. They had managed to salvage his treasured fishing trophies and put them up for him. He is the definitive picture of hope in the midst of destruction.

Tony has leukemia. He relapsed before Katrina. Because he has been sick he can't participate in sports, but loved to fish off of the pier behind his house. Katrina destroyed the pier.

But just one week ago "about 30 volunteers from across the country, including four New York City firefighters, arrived to rebuild the deck.

The rebuilding effort, amid the steady hum of a generator and the buzz of a circular saw, was organized by the New York Says Thank You Foundation, which helps communities affected by disasters to express gratitude for the nationwide outpouring of support for New York City after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Jeff Parness, founder and chairman of the organization, said he wanted to help the family after seeing news reports about their plight.

"Every day is precious to this little boy and his family, and we just wanted to help them get back to some sense of normalcy," Parness said. "It's not so much about building a fishing deck as it is about building hope."

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