Local Hurricane Relief Efforts

Salvation Army The Salvation Army has mounted a national effort to assist victims and responders along the Gulf Coast. More than 38 Mobile Feeding Units, capable of serving 5,000 meals per day, and 2 fully-equipped mobile kitchens capable of serving 20,000 meals per day will be dispatched to areas identified by state and local disaster management officials, including clean-up sites, emergency shelters and flooded re-gions. An additional 200 mobile feeding units are available if necessary as well as 125 special vehicles desig-nated for disaster response throughout the Southeast. The Salvation Army also distributes clean-up kits con-taining broom, mops, buckets and cleaning supplies. Other resources provided include drinking water, shower units and first aid supplies. To donate by phone, call 1-800-SAL-ARMY; on-line at www.salvationarmyusa.org or send a check, earmarked ‘disaster re-lief' to The Salvation Army, P.O. Box 3170, Union, NJ, 07083. Mountain Creek Mountain Creek announced two fundraising efforts to support disaster assistance and humanitarian relief efforts in the Gulf Coast region devastated by Hurricane Katrina. The resort will provide direct financial support to the American Red Cross' Disaster Relief Fund with a 100 percent employee matching gift program. In addition the resort is hosting a fundraising drive for the public, and has offered a free 2005-2006 lift ticket to anyone who donates $25 or more through the resort by Friday, Sep. 16. The public is asked to bring checks, payable to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Effort, to the ski resort's Human Resources office, located in the Cobblestone Village adjacent to the main parking lot at Vernon Base, during regular business hours Monday n Friday. Checks can also be mailed to Shannon McSweeney, Mountain Creek, 200 Route 94, Vernon, NJ 07462, and the free lift ticket vouchers will be sent via return mail. Charles Blier, vice president and general manager, Mountain Creek said, "Mountain Creek is pleased to support the Red Cross' disaster relief efforts. We extend our condolences to those families devastated by Hurricane Katrina and hope that our efforts can help the Red Cross to provide some measure of relief to those who have suffered unimaginable losses." UNICO UNICO National, the largest Italian-American service organization in the U.S., has announced the initiation of a Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund. The goal is to raise at least $15,000 by Sept. 15 to send a minimum 60,000 bottles of water to the stricken area. Send donations payable to "UNICO National, Inc.," earmarked "Disaster Relief Fund" to UNICO National at 271 U.S. Highway 46 West, Suite A-108, Fairfield, NJ 07004. For more information, contact Executive Administrator Barbara Peirano at 1-800-877-1492 or at unico.national@verizon.net. Lafayette Village The Champagne Girls, a non-profit organization of entertainers devoted to helping others, will hold the "Motion with a Mission" Charity Benefit at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept.11, at Lafayette Village Hall to benefit the International Rescue Committee. Performing will be some of the best belly dancers in New Jersey along with student dancers. The International Rescue Committee is working to provide emergency relief and resettlement efforts for people displaced by the tragic hurricane Katrina disaster. The $10 admission fee will go directly to the IRC. (www.theirc.org) There will also be a Motional Prayer Workshop at 1:30 p.m. consisting of freestyle dance, meditation and movement taught by Sherri Van Houten. An ordained minister, Van Houten is also the author of "Belly Dance: Motion on the Ocean of Spirituality." For more information call Van Houten at 201-247-0897 or visit http://pages.prodigy.net/evanhouten/ChampagneGirls.html.