> Help Rebuild Katrina-area Chambers
Help Rebuild Katrina-area Chambers
| A message from the US Chamber of Commerce Dear Chamber Friends, On behalf of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, our hearts go out to the hundreds of thousands of people affected by the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Chambers and businesses from across the country have contacted the U.S. Chamber's headquarters and regional offices asking what they can do to help the families, businesses and chambers in hard hit areas of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. We greatly appreciate this tremendous outpouring of support and hope that this email will provide the information and tools necessary to help deliver aid to those in need. The U.S. Chamber is working closely with local, state, and federal agencies to provide a coordinated business response to Hurricane Katrina. The U.S. Chamber's affiliate, the Center for Corporate Citizenship (CCC), is taking the lead on this effort. As relief and reconstruction move forward, the U.S. Chamber will work to match the specific needs of the damaged communities with companies and chambers nationwide that are prepared to donate the services, support and resources to meet those needs. Through the CCC, we are serving as a hub for chambers and associations to share information, coordinate with each other, and collaborate to promote effective disaster aid. In addition, the U.S. Chamber has partnered with AidMatrix to provide an online portal where companies and chambers can go to donate money and supplies to the relief and reconstruction efforts. Through this website, www.aidmatrix.org/uschamber, large companies can donate goods in bulk, and small businesses and chambers can purchase items for donation such as meals for rescue workers (5 meals - $20), health care supplies (6 aid packets - $30) and cleaning supplies (15 kits - $75). Simply click "Donate $$" on the main page of the website and you will be directed to the list of items. Many chambers nationwide have inquired about direct chamber-to-chamber outreach so they can help rebuild chambers that were destroyed by the storm. The U.S. Chamber has been communicating with chambers in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama to assess their specific needs. Please note that we plan to post this information on www.aidmatrix.org/uschamber as it becomes available. Once posted, chambers will be able to go to the website and earmark donations to fellow chambers in these states -- donations may include money, office supplies and equipment to help our friends get back up and running. Again, the CCC will coordinate the business community response on behalf of the U.S. Chamber throughout the rescue, relief and reconstruction efforts. We hope to have specific chamber needs posted to www.aidmatrix.org/uschamber in the next several days. Please check back often, as this will be a long and ongoing process. For more information on the U.S. Chamber's Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, please visit www.uschamber.com/ccc. Also, please note that the CCC will be hosting regular conference calls on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 3:00 p.m. EDT for the purpose of information sharing, needs assessment and disaster aid coordination. Chambers and businesses are welcome to join the calls by dialing (866) 238-0638. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me or Megan Tucker in my office. Regards, Geoff -- Geoffrey O'Hara Executive Director, Eastern Region U.S. Chamber of Commerce P: (401) 831-8885 F: (401) 831-1711 |