Holiday Help Needed For Gulf Agencies

The Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse is asking for help with Adopt a Family program. 228-868-8686. They had 3 offices, I think they are still in just one in Biloxi.

The Mississippi Coast Interfaith Disaster Task Force provides building materials, furniture and appliances free of charge to individuals and families who qualify through area Diaster Relief Organizations (DRO) and social services. Steven Howard at 354-0969 http://www.msidtf.org/

Junior Auxilliary of Biloxi-Ocean Springs
317 Pine Drive, Ocean Springs, MS 39564
Good evening. I am Julie Scruggs and I am a member of the Biloxi-Ocean Springs Junior Auxiliary. Our president, Sharon Weeks, forwarded your e-mail to me.
Yes, there are three active Junior Auxiliaries on the Mississippi Gulf Coast - Biloxi-Ocean Springs, Gulfport, and Pascagoula.
I am the chairperson for Santa's Helpers which is our Christmas project. This is such a great project. With the help of school counselors, a family is chosen from each school we serve. We serve over 30 schools in the following cities on the Mississippi Gulf Coast - Biloxi, Ocean Springs, St. Martin, Vancleave, and D'Iberville.
Each family fills out a Christmas wish list for each child in the family. The chapter then shops in order to grant as many Christmas wishes as possible.
Donations are such a blessing. The one item we have received several request for this year is bikes.
Also, Wal-Mart gift cards are ideal since we do not have to pay tax on items purchased at Wal-Mart. Just a side note. Any gift cards donated to Junior Auxiliary are used by the members to purchase items for the families. We do not distribute gift cards or money to the individual families.

If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me at Donjules @ aol.com
Thanks,
Julie Scruggs
Biloxi-Ocean Springs Junior Auxiliary

Hope Haven Children's Shelter - Hancock County
PO box 3777 Bay St. Louis, Ms. 39521
We are accepting donations of cash or Wal mart cards to hand out to children/families who missed signing up with any of the mainstream toy give aways. We also are contacted by local teachers who know that particular kids are in need. We try and help those children when the family is not getting help from any other source. The children in our foster home will be provided for...so we do not need help with them...
but if anyone wishes to help the other 100 to 125 children in foster care in Hancock County...
they can contact the Dept. of Human Services....at 228 467-4100.

Hope Haven 228 466-6395 mailing address PO box 3777 Bay St. Louis, Ms. 39521
thanks!
Terry Latham
Hope Haven

Biloxi Police Department Toy Drive
170 Porter Ave
Biloxi, MS
The Biloxi Police Department is now accepting donations of new and unopened toys to be given to needy children as part of the department's annual "Santa Wears a Badge" campaign.
Those interested can drop off toys at the Biloxi Police Department front desk, in the Lopez-Quave Public Safety Center, 170 Porter Ave., two blocks north of the Biloxi Lighthouse.
Toys should be dropped off before Dec. 15.
Those with questions about this program should contact Officer Tom Goldsworthy, #119, at 435-6133 or via e-mail at tgoldsworthy @ biloxi.ms.us.

Salvation Army of MS - Link to large list

Updated 12/3 City of Waveland, MS - Link to large list

Gulf Coast Woman's Center for Non-Violence - Link to large list

Added 12/5 Hurricane Caring Hearts Network - 55 kids - link to large list

CitiImpact Ministries - Adopt a Family Program Coming Soon

Gulf Coast Civic Works Project

Call on Congress to support the Gulf Coast Civic Works Project
Click here to add your voice!

The Gulf Coast Civic Works Project was proposed a few months ago by Prof. Scott Myers-Lipton, a Professor at San Jose State University, in California. His proposal captures, in simple language, a common-sense approach for rebuilding the Gulf, providing economic opportunity for Katrina survivors, as well as "restoring faith in the government’s social compact with its citizens."

This is a plan that should be embraced by every member of Congress and every American. It's a big, comprehensive initiative, but it's not a bloated program. It speaks to core American values of community and individual responsibility and equality of opportunity, while recognizing the importance of culture and history. And fundamentally, it makes sound economic sense.

There is no other plan that takes advantage of the economies of scale and available labor pool represented by the city's former residents for rebuilding. And it fits perfectly with the stated desires of officials at every level, who say they want to preserve the character of New Orleans and to make it possible for New Orleanians to return.

Here's the proposal as laid out by Prof. Myers-Lipton:

The Proposal:
The GC Civic Works Project will hire 100,000 Gulf Coast residents to rebuild New Orleans and the surrounding region. The residents, who will be given subsidized tickets back to their neighborhoods, will build and repair houses, schools, parks, and other civic buildings and spaces.

The Gulf Coast Civic Works Project accomplishes 4 things:
provide our citizens with living wage jobs,
make housing available for themselves and their communities,
restore a sense of personal empowerment and hope, something which has been stolen from our people, and
restore faith among our citizenry of the government’s ability to respond to the needs of its people through a public-private partnership.

Projected Cost:
Based on a ratio of labor to materials of 80-20, and a wage rate of $12 per hour, the total cost of the Gulf Coast Civic Works Project is $3.125 billion. The projected cost of wages is $2.5 billion, while the cost of materials is $625 million.
Note that $3 billion is roughly 1/2 to 1/3 the cost of the war each month in Iraq according to the Congressional Budget Office. And while the Iraq War has been plagued with graft and corruption, similar large-scale civic projects have operated in the United States with little to no corruption.

Historical Precedent
This is not the first time that the United States has faced massive social suffering. Our senior citizens, as well as our history books, have passed on to the current generation, the pain and suffering that so many people experienced during the Great Depression.
When Americans were faced with this crisis, the people realized that self-help initiatives alone would not solve the people’s problems, and they turned to solutions that got things done. During the Depression, people didn’t want a handout, but a hand up.

The U.S. Government developed the Civil Works Administration (CWA) and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The CWA employed 4 million workers immediately in construction work (i.e., school repair, sanitation work, road building, etc.). Within 2 weeks of starting the project, 814,511 were on the payroll; within 2 months, 4.2 million were working.

The Works Project Administration (WPA) replaced the CWA. In its 7-year history, the WPA employed a total of 8 million people and its accomplishments were many: the WPA built or improved 5,900 schools, 2,500 hospitals, and 13,000 playgrounds.

The CCC provided the opportunity for 500,000 young men (ages 18 to 25) to work on environmental conservation projects at 2,600 camps each year. The goal was to employ restless and discouraged young men, many of whom had previously roamed the nation looking for work. In addition to their salary, the youth provided educational assistance.