HURRICANES GUSTAV & IKE & SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES October, 2008 NEWS: CALL TO ACTION:
We are so grateful to so many of you who came through in times of need for the 2008 California Wildfires to Hurricanes Gustav and Ike. The Louisiana Governor’s Office of Homeland Security/Emergency Preparedness (HS/EP) acknowledged the UAE efforts by asking that Geraldine participate in the daily VOAD (Volunteer Organizations Assisting in Disaster) during the crisis. These meetings are managed by HS/EP to effect a daily analysis of needs and challenges of each of the VO’s. Although she was representing UAE, she felt the need to go beyond Aromatherapy and was able to mobilize over $100,000 (including an estimated $17,000 in aromatherapy products) in serviceable goods for VOAD. With the help of a couple of volunteers, they were able to ‘make user friendly’ items that arrived in separate components. The vast majority of aromatherapy products went to Robin Cunningham Myer in Baton Rouge who was working on First Responders.