Giraffe Heroes working in
the disaster zone—

Giraffe Richard Walden’s Operation USA has been flying into crises for 26 years. No red tape, close-to-zero overhead, and they’re fast. Walden’s teams are on the Gulf with health supplies, water, loans and grants. You can give here or call their headquarters in Los Angeles 323-658-8876 with your credit card number.

New Giraffe Ekene Amaefule is coordinating a free store near Fort Lewis, Washington where evacuees are being taken. She’s collecting clothing, toys, toiletries and letter-writing materials. You can volunteer to help stock the “store” or to be there, helping evacuees “shop.” Amaefule notes that all her community assistance projects in Nigeria have been funded by Americans. “Now it’s time to give back.” Information here or call Amaefule (who goes by the nickname “Kennie” in this country) on her cell: 206-355-4403.

Giraffe Cheryl Honey, who founded a support network for families, is matching refugees to transitional housing. She’s got “Community Weaver” volunteers in shelters across the Gulf matching evacuees with host families. They’re doing the travel arrangements and setting evacuees up with the supplies they need for their journeys. If you can go to Houston for a week to help the teams, call 206-240-2241 for information. (Plan on bringing a wi-fi-equipped laptop.) You can donate funds to cover travel costs for evacuees and volunteers here.

UPDATE: Cheryl reports matching 35 evacuees with host families so far. Big problem: transportation costs. Most evacuees have already used the cash the Red Cross provided, so don't have the money to travel to their host families or to pay their expenses once they arrive. Donate at the above link. And if you have other resources you can offer, go here.

Giraffe Ranya Kelly started "redistributing" useful goods years ago, when she found perfectly good new shoes in a dumpster behind a store and took them to a homeless shelter. Her team in Colorado is asking for hygiene items they're sending down to the Gulf for the evacuees and the rescue workers. They're also sending new pillows, blankets, socks, suitcases and "much more." There are details here.

Giraffe Patrinell Wright, director ot the Total Experience Gospel Choir, had a 9-hour benefit concert for Katrina Relief from 1 till 10 PM on September 18 at Kenyon Hall, 7904 35 th Avenue SW in Seattle. Tickets were $20 plus as much more as possible. There was Louisiana-style food available at reasonable cost throughout the concert. If you couldn’t attend you can send a check made out to CEB Enterprise Charities— address it to Total Experience Gospel Choir, PO Box 2276, Seattle WA 98122.

UPDATE: Pat Wright reports that the fundraiser went so well it's going to be repeated—same place, same hours, but on October 9. If you missed the first one, here's another chance for great music, great food and a way to help the Gulf Coast.

Giraffe Craig Kielburger’s organization Free the Children is the world’s largest network of children helping children though education. Free the Children is responding to Katrina by sending school and health kits to thousands of homeless children. Given from the heart, these kits will provide essentials like notebooks, pencils, toothbrushes, and soap. As the new school year begins, these kits will help to meet an especially crucial need for children to continue their education, maintain basic hygiene, and rebuild their lives.  click here

Giraffe Ocean Robbins is directing concerned people to the 21st Century Leadership Movement. CLM has set up a camp in Selma, Alabama to house 100 CLM members from New Orleans and their families. These are the young people who are the next generation of African-American leadership in New Orleans. CLM will not only support them in Selma, they’ll be working with them to address the systemic and institutional causes of this national disgrace. Donations for this effort are going through Robbins’ nonprofit, Youth for Environmental Sanity. Click here and mark your gift “21C Katrina Relief Fund.”