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Washington, DC – Congressman Bill Shuster has organized a Ninth District-wide donation drive to help the victims stranded by Hurricane Katrina. In conjunction with central Pennsylvania trucking companies and their drivers, local churches and area volunteers, Shuster will have three donation stations where constituents can drop off selected goods from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.
There will be drop-off areas in Chambersburg, Altoona and Indiana and a list of goods that can be donated is provided below. Please stay within these confines because strict guidelines have been put in place by people on-site and the list focuses on the most urgent needs.
“People have been calling my office offering help since day one and we wanted to have an easy way for people to get needed supplies to the Gulf Coast – but specifically for the kids of Katrina,” said Shuster. “I know many people have donated to the Red Cross and other organizations – and that’s great. This is another option for people who want to help out and we have received a list of needed goods directly from people on the ground. They have requested that this drive focus on the needs of children and babies.”
Nearly 200,000 displaced people have moved into an area outside of New Orleans and do not have basic supplies. The area is rural, similar to central Pennsylvania, and a lot of the schools in these small towns have doubled in size with children waiting to be enrolled.
Drop Locations: *All times are Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Trucks were donated by Smith Trucking and Perfetti Trucking.
Chambersburg
Location: First United Methodist Church (corner of 2nd & Washington streets)
Altoona
Location: Blair County Ballpark, Lakemont (lower parking lot)
Indiana
Location: Grace United Methodist Church (corner of 7th & Church streets)
The goods will be collected locally and shipped by area truckers straight to the victims. Shuster has coordinated the arrival, and the items of goods to send, with Congressman Charles Boustany of Louisiana. Mr. Boustany represents a rural area similar to the Ninth District and has asked for donations focusing on children, babies and school supplies.
List of Items to be Collected (only goods on this list will be shipped):
New Baby / Child Supplies: Diapers, wipes, formula, baby powder, A&D Ointment, petroleum jelly, zinc oxide, bottles / nipples and pacifiers
New School Supplies: Pens, pencils, Crayons, markers, notebooks, rulers, protractors, tape, glue, calculators, paper, scissors and other new school supplies
New Personal Hygiene Supplies: Anti-bacterial Handi-Wipes, tampons/sanitary napkins, hand/body lotion, hairbrushes, toothpaste/brushes, shampoo, soap, deodorant, Chapstick/Blistex, razors (women’s and men’s), mouthwash, dental floss, bug repellant, sunscreen and Band-Aids
Other New or Gently Used Items: Luggage and duffle bags, backpacks, books, children’s books, games and toys |
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