VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Do you want to help the Greater Houston area recover from Hurricane Ike? Check out these opportunities to volunteer and/or donate:

Special Pals animal shelter
This is a rescue shelter that has taken in animals from Kemah, Galveston and the Bay Area shelters. Special Pals usually has approximately 70 animals in their shelter and currently has about 200.
They are in need of volunteers to help with 8:00 a.m. feedings, other assistance and the following supplies:
Bleach
Dry dog food - Purina, Beneful, Pedigree small bites
Cat litter
Drinking water for volunteers
Financial aide
If any viewers can help, please contact the shelter at 281-579-7387.
Special Pals is located at:
3830 Greenhouse Road
Houston, TX 77084

American Red Cross
The American Red Cross honors donor intent. If you wish to designate your donation to a specific disaster please do so at the time of your donation. Call 1-800-REDCROSS or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). You acn also make a secure online contribution at http://www.redcross.org.

Houston SPCA
The most useful donation for the SPCA currently is a monetary donation. You can help by visiting www.houstonspca.org.

POD Centers
If you want to help at a POD center, you can call the church or facility where it is located and see what help they need, or you can just show up and offer whatever services you can provide.
The POD at the Houston Community College Southeast College off the Gulf Freeway near Woodridge needs volunteers to help man the facility.

Catholic Charities
Donations for Ike are urgently needed to assist with recovery efforts. To donate visit www.catholiccharities.org.

Houston Food Bank
Houston Food Bank needs volunteers to sort, process and box food and other necessities for distribution.
Volunteers age 8 and older are needed between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Houston Food Bank, which is located at 3811 Eastex Freeway.
Volunteers can register in advance at http://www.houstonfoodbank.org or in person when they arrive.
Volunteers are asked to wear closed-toed shoes and shirts with sleeves.
If you would like to donate food, water or essential items, drop them off at the facility. The most needed items are canned tuna or chicken packed in water, canned stews and pasta with meat, peanut butter, canned fruits in light syrup, natural applesauce, 100 percent juice in cans or boxes (no glass, please), canned veggies, tomatoes, tomato sauce, soups with meat or beans, cereals, cereal bars, pasta, spaghetti, macaroni, noodles and packages of dry beans.
For more information, please contact the Houston Food Bank at 713-223-3700.
Rescue Bank -- food source for animals
Rescue Bank, the Houston-based “food bank” for animal rescue and adoption groups, has started a shelter restoration fund to help member groups recover from Hurricane Ike and care for the increased numbers of rescued and recovered animals.
Tax-deductible donations can be made at any Washington Mutual branch by specifying “rescue bank” to the teller.
Rescue bank is a cooperative group of more than 45 Houston-Galveston area non-profit shelter and foster organizations.
Created in response to Hurricane Katrina, rescue bank operates on the “food bank” model, collecting and distributing more than a quarter million pounds of pet food and supplies during the last two years.
More information is available at www.rescuebank.org.