August 31, 2005

Here's How You Can Help

Queen Shenaynay

Hurricane Katrina has left many thousands of children without schools this coming school year. This is just one aspect of this crisis, but it is one with enormous implications. I've read reports this morning of churches in Texas and perhaps elsewhere that are setting up ministries to help evacuees begin the process of homeschooling to help these displaced families get through this crisis.

At times like this, I'm even more thankful for the Ambleside Online curriculum, which is available for free online. If you know of a church or an organization that is trying to help evacuated families get set up to educate their children, please make sure they are aware of this free resource.

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UPDATE: The AO Advisory is working furiously today to put together an emergency-use version of AO for Hurricane Katrina victims who desperately need a school plan fast. It will be completely FREE, user-friendly and immediately available to print out and use with younger children. We will have it on our webpage shortly.

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These families also desperately need supplies. There is a way we can help.

Project Noah is an organization that helps homeschool families in the wake of disasters like this hurricane. They are getting in motion to organize relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina, and will be updating their website with more pertinent info asap.

You can send supplies to Project Noah and they will distribute them. Just think about the things you would need if you had to set up your homeschool all over again, and far from home. If you have duplicate books or curriculum materials you were planning to sell, please consider mailing them to Project Noah to help children in need.

One of our Ambleside Online moms from Louisiana wrote this morning that her family fled north to a relative's home, and have been told that they cannot return to their parish/county for two to three months. They did not have time to collect their school things, and are hoping they can rely on the library system and the internet -- but many libraries in the region are simply gone. This is just one story among thousands.

Mostly, please pray -- but also do something. Katrina's devastation is unfathomable.

2 comments:

Mama Squirrel said...

Re the libraries disappearing...that may seem small potatoes compared with deaths and homelessness, but it's also a huge loss in itself. Not just current books, but community history and all the other rare books, papers and photographs that get housed in public libraries...and college libraries...and church libraries. And family libraries...few people would have had the opportunity to save their own books. It will take a long time to start to replace some of those collections.

Anonymous said...

I'm so thankful that our community was not affected much and I am grateful for all the work many people are doing.