Hurricane Katrina: Message from MFP Director
Dear Fellows, Alumni, and Friends:
In recent days I have heard from several Fellows regarding Americans whose lives have been changed so quickly and drastically by Hurricane Katrina.
Within your respective campuses and communities, many hundreds of miles away, I know that sympathy and support for these individuals and families will have an enduring place in your thoughts and prayers.
As you may know, many individuals and families are being evacuated to Texas. In recent conversations with Fellows Christina Leal in San Antonio, and Shelia Harvin in Houston, they indicated that families are being relocated to their home communities. I have asked them to share with us specific actions that we can take that could assist the hurricane victims as they transition into these two cities and begin to rebuild their lives.
Also, we can all facilitate the thousands of homeless individuals and families in the region by contributing through the relief organizations that are accepting monetary donations, goods and services. We can also assist by providing personal support to individuals we know and their families.
Moreover, I encourage you to peruse the websites of organizations such as the American Nurses Association, the American Hospital Association, the American Red Cross, the Centers for Disease Control, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Salvation Army, and others for information regarding additional channels of support for our fellow Americans. Please review the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s website, and utilize the valuable information posted for professional service providers, as you endeavor to help relieve the pain and suffering caused by Hurricane Katrina.
Finally, we can help to make our beloved nation a better place for all people by letting this national disaster be a sobering reminder about how precious each life is, and allowing that fact to guide and direct our daily thoughts and behaviors as we interact with all other human beings.
Be safe.
Warmly,
Faye A. Gary
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