Help for Katrina Victims in the Columbus Area

I've been in contact with a local agency who is matching displaced gulf coast residents in central Ohio with groups interested in sponsoring a start to their new lives here. Firstlink.org is an established social services agency in Columbus. They are working with other intake agencies to match recipients when they locate a donating group. Recipients have ranged from individuals and couples to families of 7. Seventy Five matches have been made in our area and Kim at Firstlink tells me there is always a recipient available when she has a donor group. I've also spoken with the disaster relief mission coordinator at Indian Run Methodist Church who has sponsored 9 families through this program with great success.

This becomes a more urgent need December 15. FEMA will stop paying for evacuees to stay in hotels in this area 10 days before Christmas. Agencies have been finding apartments for them, but they are in need of furniture and all household items as they have lost everything of this nature in Louisiana or Mississippi.

This is an excellent opportunity for those of you who have wanted to do something from here because you couldn't travel to Louisiana. Firstlink estimates it costs around $3,000 to set up housekeeping for singles or couples. Obviously this would be more for larger families. Firstlink has a list of items here on their Katrina relief site. Donor groups should collect the household items and install them in the new living quarters before the recipients move in.

Listen, I know donor fatigue is a very real thing. Many of us have contributed as much or more than we can comfortably handle this year. As this illustrates, though, the need is enormous and not going to moderate significantly in the near term.

If you organize a group of donors for this effort, please let me know, even if you wish to remain anonymous. If you would like to join a donor group, send an email and we'll help connect you with others.

To sponsor a family, email Kim Kallmeyer at Firstlink or call her at 221-6766 x117