SDSU will help Evacuees

I got this email at work today. Wow! I am really happy we are going to be helping out here on campus. Jen

TO: SDSU Students, Faculty and Staff
FROM: President Stephen L. Weber
SUBJECT: San Diego State Offers Shelter to Hurricane
Evacuees

San Diego State University has offered, in cooperation with the
local chapter of the American Red Cross, to establish a shelter
on the SDSU campus at Peterson Gym should the need arise to house
evacuees from Hurricane Katrina. The shelter at Peterson Gym
could temporarily house as many as 600 people.
It is uncertain if or when our shelter might be needed. If it
is, the first evacuees might arrive as early as the next 24 to 48
hours. While American Red Cross officials hope the shelter will
be needed only for several weeks, SDSU has agreed to make the
building available for as long as 60 days.

The American Red Cross has told the university we will have 24
hours notice of any evacuees coming to San Diego. Upon notice
from the Red Cross, Peterson Gym activities will be temporarily
relocated to the Aztec Recreation Center. This includes classes
in Exercise and Nutritional Sciences, SDSU's intercollegiate
athletic teams which use the gym for competition and practice,
and recreational sports activities. Other than temporary
disruptions to student recreational activities in the ARC, the
campus will be in full operation while the shelter is in place.
For updated information, visit the SDSU Web site at:
http://www.sdsu.edu/.
The shelter will be operated by the San Diego/Imperial Counties
Chapter of the American Red Cross, which will provide all staff
and resources for the hurricane survivors. The American Red Cross
will contract with Aztec Shops and possibly outside vendors to
provide food and other services to evacuees.
The shelter at SDSU is one of many being established by the
American Red Cross across the country to handle the immense and
immediate needs of the hundreds of thousands of people who have
been displaced by the disaster. We are glad San Diego State can
assist those who have endured such a tremendous loss.
I anticipate that many of you will want to know how you can help:
o The San Diego Chapter of the American Red Cross tells us
the most immediate need is for monetary contributions. The best
way to make a contribution is through the local organization's
Web site: http://www.sdarc.org/, the American Red Cross' national site at
http://www.redcross.org/, or by phone at 1-800-HELP-NOW. Those wishing
to can indicate their affiliation with SDSU when making an online
contribution.
o Those wishing to volunteer are encouraged to contact San
Diego County's new services hotline by dialing 2-1-1. Horizon
Christian Fellowship (HCF) will accept donations of food,
toiletries, clothing, and toys for the victims of Hurricane
Katrina. HCF is located at 5331 Mt. Alifan Drive in Clairemont.
o SDSU has also established a liaison with the American Red
Cross - should SDSU's faculty, staff and students wish to make
special offers of assistance to the evacuees. Please contact Ron
Oshima at: roshima@mail.sdsu.edu.
Please do not bring cash or other donations to the shelter in
Peterson Gym. Also, no volunteers will be accepted without
appropriate training by the American Red Cross.
In addition to establishing the shelter, San Diego State is
enrolling dozens of undergraduate and graduate students from Gulf
Coast colleges and universities shut down by Hurricane Katrina.
Also, SDSU's Athletics department and its supporters raised
$15,300 at the SDSU-UCLA football game Sept. 3 to aid the
nationwide relief effort.
I want to thank all of you who have helped or are helping in this
important humanitarian effort - especially those in Exercise and
Nutritional Sciences, Athletics and Associated Students who have
been so accommodating. I ask that we all welcome the hurricane
evacuees and treat them as guests on our campus with respect and
understanding for the hardships they have endured. We will keep
you updated as more information becomes available.