To all good Democrats, we share in the sorrow of the disaster in New Orleans and along the coast. Many of us have friends and relatives who have been directly affected by the hurricane.

Many of you are calling the Colorado Democratic Party headquarters asking what we can do. To follow are our suggestions.

1) Donate. At www.redcross.org, you can make an online contribution. The Colorado Democratic Party is suspending its own fundraising for the next week and asking that you donate to the Red Cross.

2) We have contacted the Red Cross and offered our assistance in recruiting volunteers, and they need our help. The Red Cross has a national call center here in Denver that is staffed by volunteers. On September 17, 2005 we want to fill three of the training slots. These trainings are 45 minutes long, which is then followed by a two-hour training that you will sign up for at that initial meeting. This call center will be used for months in assisting families that are involved in this disaster. The three initial training times on September 17 are 1, 3, and 5pm. Each of these time slots needs twenty people. Please email bfreeman@coloradodems.org to sign up for a training slot. If you are volunteering for the call center you should be comfortable using a computer and telephone.

3) You can organize your own community fundraiser. Again funnel your checks to the Red Cross.

4) If you have available housing, you can offer shelter to hurricane victims. Go to www.hurricanehousing.org. They prefer housing within 230 miles of New Orleans, but the scope of the disaster is such that they will probably need to move people around the country.

5) Supplies are not needed as much as cash. However, if you have palettes of water, call 303 722-7474.