September 7, 2005
Message From Governor Warner to Employees of the
Commonwealth Regarding Hurricane Katrina Relief
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Virginia continues
a series of responses to the human tragedy in the Gulf states. Many
of you are directly involved in those responses because of the agency
for which you work or your particular job duties. Thank you for everything
you are doing..
As a reminder when assisting citizens, please continue
to be patient if they call your agency looking for help or expressing
anger and frustration at the situation we're all seeing on TV. It
is important to give them the right messages and be ready to respond
to requests or offers. The "personal touch" has never been
more important. To ensure that we all have the latest information,
here is an update regarding Virginia's response to Hurricane Katrina
and additional ways that you can help. We will try to provide additional
updates on a regular basis as well.
Where to Direct Citizens
You may be the first and best contact a citizen
makes with government. Please take a moment to read through this
message and familiarize yourself with how you can help citizens
find out more about what we're doing or what they can do.
You may need to refer them along to the right entity, but if one call
can answer a question, that's a better option.
Assisting Hurricane Victims
Virginia stands ready to take in evacuees, but FEMA is telling us that many
victims of this hurricane are reluctant to leave at this point, and may
choose to shelter where they are. However, we are ready to help if and
when they come our way.
Citizens offering assistance should think carefully about the long-term commitment
they are making to individuals and families whose lives have been totally disrupted.
Offers of housing should then be made directly to local Red Cross chapters,
where they will be coordinated with the Commonwealth.
Additionally, anyone in contact with an evacuee in Virginia should put them
in touch with the Red Cross for immediate assistance and to be tracked into
the FEMA system, where longer term financial assistance is available. This
is crucial information for them to have.
The Virginia Public Inquiry Center can be reached at 866-880-4288 will be staffed
daily. This should be your next point of referral for citizen inquiries or
offers of assistance, if the information in this message is not sufficient.
What Virginia is Doing to Respond
I have asked representatives from the Virginia Departments of Emergency Management,
General Services, Social Services, Housing and Community Development, Health,
the Virginia Housing Development Authority, the Virginia Employment Commission,
and other state, private and faith-based groups to assess the Commonwealth's
capacity to receive, house, and coordinate services for evacuees from the
Gulf Coast region. Visit http://www.governor.virginia.gov for
the latest.
We are focusing our efforts on providing one-stop shopping for sheltering,
health, and various government services at our state facility at Fort Pickett.
More information will be coming out on that as we move forward.
Other state responses are summarized at http://www.vaemergency.com.
How Else to Help
The absolute first, best recommendation is to donate through check, cash or
credit card to a reputable charity. The CVC Hurricane Katrina special fund
is an excellent means of doing so for state employees and shows a combined
state employee response. Response so far has been quick and generous. All
funds raised by this special effort will be given to the Red Cross and
the Salvation Army without any "administrative cut" whatsoever.
These two organizations are providing frontline assistance and are organized
to deliver the most. Donations should be designated to "CVC-Hurricane
Relief."
Many people have also inquired about donations of goods
(food, clothing, diapers, etc.). We are discouraging such donations
at this time.
But if you must donate goods instead of money, do it through a known charity
locally. Please do not ship goods directly to the region. That will add to
the burden of those on the front lines who are not equipped to sort through
mountains of items. In past disasters, huge amounts of donated clothing and
goods ended up in landfills.
Volunteering
Volunteers should not self-deploy. Contact your local volunteer organization
to offer your time and skills. These organizations have established relationships
with their partners in the affected areas, and volunteers should work through
these channels and others.
For more suggestions on volunteer organizations, see
VirginiaCORPS http://www.virginiacorps.org/.
Finding Family Members
People looking for family members should call the Red Cross at (866) GET-INFO.
The Red Cross also has an online registry for concerned family members
and evacuees. Go to http://www.redcross.org and
click on the "Family Links Registry" link.
Gasoline Supplies in Virginia
There is no widespread shortage of gasoline in Virginia. I have not ordered
Virginia gas stations to close or amend their gasoline selling functions.
Rather, I am urging Virginians to drive smart by conserving gas where possible.
It is not necessary to change your normal gas-buying habits or hoard fuel.
I am asking agencies to limit all but essential travel in response to gasoline
prices. If you spot price gouging - which is defined as a price substantially
above the local market - please report it to Virginia Department of Agriculture
and Consumer Services (VDACS) via its toll-free consumer hotline at 1-800-552-9963.
Protection from Fraud
The Virginia Information Technology Agency's Security Services Unit has received
multiple reports of individuals using fraudulent Hurricane Katrina donation
and relief Web sites to solicit donations, including www.katrinahelp.com,
www.katrinarelief.com and www.katrinacleanup.com. If you think you have
been the victim of charity fraud or a disaster scam, file a report with:
Office of the Attorney General
Antitrust and Consumer Litigation Section
900 East Main Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 786-2116 or (800) 451-1525
Office of Consumer Affairs
1100 Bank Street, Suite 100
Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 786-2042 or (800) 552-9963
Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Hotline to report price gouging at gas stations: 1-800-552-9963
The Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance http://www.give.org/ provides
information on charity organizations that are the subject of donor
inquiries.
Flags Lowered
The flags at all state office buildings are being lowered in memorial to Chief
Justice William Rehnquist until his internment and will continue to fly
at half-staff until sunset on September 20, 2005 in memory of the victims
of Hurricane Katrina.
Again, thanks to all for the extra effort during this time of national need.
Sincerely,
Mark R. Warner |