Katrina Digest: Daily News Summary

GANNETT NEWS NETWORK COVERAGE                                           Compiled by Gannett News Service | E-mail feedback

GANNETT RESOURCES FOR GIVING AND GETTING HURRICANE ASSISTANCE

National roundup - From USATODAY.com

Resources for giving and getting aid by state

ALABAMA - From the Montgomery (Ala.) Advertiser

ARKANSAS - From Today's THV-TV, Little Rock

ARIZONA - From The Arizona Republic

CALIFORNIA

Palm Springs - From The (Palm Springs, Calif.) Desert Sun

Sacramento - From KXTV-TV

COLORADO - From KUSA-TV, Denver

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA - From WUSA-TV

FLORIDA

Fort Myers - From The (Fort Myers, Fla.) News Press:

Jacksonville - From First Coast News TV

Pensacola - From the Pensacola (Fla.) News Journal

Tallahassee - From the Tallahassee (Fla.) Democrat

Tampa/St. Petersburg - From WTSP-TV

GEORGIA - From WXIA-TV, Atlanta

HAWAII - From The Honolulu Advertiser

INDIANA

Indianapolis and statewide - From The Indianapolis Star

Lafayette - From The (Lafayette, Ind.) Journal and Courier

IOWA - From The Des Moines Register

KENTUCKY - From The (Louisville, Ky.) Courier-Journal

ILLINOIS - From the Rockford (Ill.) Register Star

LOUISIANA

Alexandria - From The (Alexandria, La.) Town Talk

Lafayette - From The (Lafayette, La.) Daily Advertiser

Monroe - From The (Monroe, La.) News-Star

Opelousas - From the (Opelousas, La.) Daily World

Shreveport - From The (Shreveport, La.) Times

MAINE

Bangor - From WLBZ-TV:

Portland - From WCSH-TV:

MICHIGAN

Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo-Battle Creek - From WZZM-TV

Detroit - From The Detroit Free Press

Lansing - From the Lansing (Mich.) State Journal

MINNESOTA

Minneapolis/St. Paul - From KARE-TV

St. Cloud - From the St. Cloud (Minn.) Times

MISSISSIPPI

Hattiesburg - From the Hattiesburg (Miss.) American

Jackson - From The (Jackson, Miss.) Clarion-Ledger

MISSOURI

Springfield - From the Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader

St. Louis - From KSDK-TV

NEW JERSEY

Camden/Cherry Hill - From the (Cherry Hill, N.J.) Courier-Post

East Brunswick - From the (East Brunswick, N.J.) Home News Tribune

NEW YORK

Binghamton - From the (Binghamton, N.Y.) Press & Sun-Bulletin

Buffalo - From WGRZ-TV:

Elmira - From the (Elmira, N.Y.) Star-Gazette

Poughkeepsie - From the Poughkeepsie (N.Y.) Journal

Rochester - From the (Rochester, N.Y.) Democrat and Chronicle

Mohawk Valley - From the (Utica, N.Y.) Observer-Dispatch

Westchester County - From The (Westchester, N.Y.) Journal News

NORTH CAROLINA

Asheville - From The (Asheville, N.C.) Citizen-Times

Greenboro - From WFMY-TV

OHIO

Cincinnati - From The Cincinnati Enquirer

Cleveland - From WKYC-TV

OREGON - From the (Salem, Ore.) Statesman-Journal

SOUTH CAROLINA

Columbia - From WLTX-TV

Greenville - From The Greenville (S.C.) News

TENNESSEE

Clarksville - From The (Clarksville, Tenn.) Leaf-Chronicle

Knoxville - From WBIR-TV

Nashville - From The Tennessean

TEXAS - From the El Paso Times

VERMONT - From The Burlington (Vt.) Free Press

WEST VIRGINIA - From The (Huntington, W.Va.) Herald-Dispatch

WISCONSIN

Green Bay - From The Green Bay (Wis.) Press-Gazette

Appleton - From The (Appleton, Wis.) Post Cresent

Tips for donors

  • Don't assume a claimed celebrity endorsement is real.
  • Pay with a check or credit card. Keep records for tax purposes.
  • Beware of any unsolicited appeals, online or on the phone.
  • Be cautious about giving to highly publicized victims; those outside the media spotlight are often more needy.
  • Double your donation by taking advantage of employers' matching grant programs.
  • Try to avoid giving goods; Asian tsunami relief groups got scarves, coats and fuzzy hats that clogged the relief pipeline.
  • Consider volunteering locally to take the place of someone who has gone to the flood relief area.
  • Beware of mail appeals that appear as bills or invoices.
  • Watch out for copycats; shady operators often disguise their appeals to look like established groups.
  • If in doubt, ask an organization if its donations are tax-deductible.
  • Have a strategy. Don't feel guilty about not giving to all organizations that appeal to you.
  • Be wary of groups whose appeals focus heavily on sob stories but tell little about their organizations.
  • Call your local Better Business Bureau or police if you felt pressured by solicitors.
  • Ask if a charity is licensed by state or local authorities. Most states and many localities require it.
  • Sources: Better Business Bureau; American Institute for Philanthrophy