Last Day for State Hurricane Relief Drop-Offs
Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced that Friday, September 9, will be the last day for residents to drop off donations for the Hurricane Katrina relief effort at state Armories and said a second phase of the relief effort will kick off soon.
"The response from thousands Connecticut residents has been overwhelming, and I cannot thank people enough for the way they have stepped up in so many ways to meet this challenge," Governor Rell said. "We continue to load the food, water and other items into trucks and planes and send it all to the Gulf region."
Food and water continue to be the primary needs at Armory drop-off points, and the Governor noted that used clothing is no longer needed.
Forty-one truckloads filled with relief supplies have so far left for the hurricane-devastated Gulf states of Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi, and more than 1,000 pallets stacked with supplies are being loaded onto dozens of additional trucks. The Governor thanked Connecticut-based AmeriCares for supplying 15 trucks to help bring items to the Gulf region.
"Now that the national relief effort is fully underway, what we plan to do after Friday is wait for direction from the gulf states as to what their long-term needs will be," Governor Rell said. "We will then unveil the second phase of our relief effort which will take into account those needs as well as the needs of evacuees who will be coming to Connecticut."
This week, Governor Rell announced that the Connecticut will help 1,500 people relocate here from areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina, coordinating food assistance, health coverage, housing, cash assistance and other services while providing a central point for information and referral through 2-1-1 Infoline.
The Governor added that while State Armories will no longer be receiving donations after Friday, there is no reason for local relief efforts to be discontinued.
"I know that many schools and religious organizations, for example, have begun their own relief efforts, and I ask them to please continue with those efforts even though Friday is the last day for collections at Armories. Your financial collections can still be sent to groups like the American Red Cross, AmeriCares, and the Salvation Army. Your collections of food and water can also be stored until we announce the second phase of our state relief effort."
This week, Governor Rell and the Connecticut Association of Schools announced a special hurricane relief fund-raising appeal directed at Connecticut school children and their parents, encouraging them to contribute small change and checks of any size to be used specifically for school-related expenses. The Governor's office has set up a special account through the Bank of America in Connecticut. The bank will also accept coins and sort and roll them at no charge.
Armories open from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Friday are: the New Haven Armory at 209 Goffe Street; the New London Armory at 249 Bayonet Street; the Norwalk Armory at 290 New Canaan Avenue; the Putnam Armory at 25 Keech Street; and the Waterbury Armory at 64 Field Street. The State Armory on Broad Street in Hartford will be open from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. Friday.
The Governor thanked the Connecticut National Guard for the extraordinary effort it has put forth in coordinating the first phase of the relief effort.
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