Wayne County groups jump into action

By TOM KANE

HONESDALE, PA — Wayne County residents are responding quickly to the needs of the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

One example of the spontaneous community organizing taking place is “Bucking Katrina,” a campaign to get everybody to drop a dollar in buckets at area banks to aid the victims.

“If everyone gets involved, the dollars will add up fast,” said Michael O’Day, mayor of Honesdale and a co-organizer of a local campaign effort. “We have about 5,000 residents of Honesdale Borough—that could be $5,000. If everyone in Wayne County contributed, we could see close to $50,000 for Katrina survivors.” Nor do the group’s dreams stop there. “Wouldn’t it be great if this campaign swept across the country? After all, who doesn’t want to ‘buck Katrina’?” said co-organizer Patti Bursis.

Honesdale National Bank, The Dime Bank, Wayne Bank, Harleysville National Bank and Citizens Bank will host the buckets and keep track of donations through September 30.

Also in Wayne, an informal group of concerned social agencies gathered on Friday, September 2 to discuss how the community could respond to the human crises caused by Hurricane Katrina. Topics included how best to handle any relief efforts that the people of Wayne County might give to survivors, as well any possibility of offering shelter to the homeless families of New Orleans and Biloxi. The group named the American Red Cross as the lead agency in handling any donations to the victims. A Katrina hotline was established at 570/503-2550. Another meeting of the group is called for 12:00 noon on Friday, September 9 at the Wayne County Visitors Center on Commercial Street in Honesdale.

Summit Answering Service of Hamlin/Lake Ariel is taking calls for offers of service or goods 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

A listing of volunteer organizations that are recognized by PEMA (Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency) can be obtained from the state website www.pema.state.pa.us/pema.

Glen Gunuskey, coordinator of the Wayne County Emergency Management Agency (EMA), stressed that the State Emergency Operations Center had sent an alert to the county EMA offices that offers to help must be forwarded to his office where, in turn, the offers will be funneled to PEMA.

Warning and appeals from the Red Cross

When people call the Wayne County Red Cross, the staff are saying to them, “Don’t go down to New Orleans to help out! Give money instead!”

Barbara Schupeltz, a disaster worker at the office, located at 111 Main Street, Honesdale, said, “You’d be surprised how many calls we are getting from people who want to drive right down there.” Schupeltz, who is also a nurse, has been with the Red Cross for 10 years.

The staff is urging people not to go there because it isn’t safe, and visitors would only use up the food, shelter and water that victims need, Schupeltz said.

Schupeltz, who worked at the 9/11 disaster area in 2001, will be going to New Orleans next week. Staff member Bob Cuma has already been sent to Houston, TX, where 25,000 victims of the storm will be airlifted, Schupeltz said.

“In all my experience over 10 years with the Red Cross, I haven’t seen anything like this,” she said. “This the worst natural disaster the country has faced. September 11 was horrible, but this will continue to get worse and worse. The longer people are in water, the greater the danger of contamination and disease.”

The staff is urging people to conduct fundraising campaigns in their communities, at their work sites or at clubs to which they belong.

“People can mail checks here at the Red Cross, 1111 Main Street, or they can donate on line by using credit cards or bring cash here or their credit cards,” Schupeltz said.

For more information visit www.redcross.org or call 570/253-2310.