Updates/corrections: saja [at] columbia [dot] edu / 212-854-5979
Last updated: Sept. 17, 2005... 11:05 am in NYC
South Asian Analysts/Experts
Who Can Discuss Katrina
- Congressman Bobby Jindal, R-Louisiana - represents New Orleans
and is the first South Asian in Congress in more than 50 years. Updates
from BobbyJindal.com
DC phone: 202-225-3015
See Sept. 8 WSJ op-ed, Deadly Bureaucracy - Devika Koppikar
Press Secretary
U.S. Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (D-Maryland),
Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus
(202) 225-4289 (office) or (202) 225-4025 (cell) - Sudeep Reddy, energy reporter, Dallas
Morning News,
frequent guest on NPR and Texas TV to talk about
Katrina's effect on energy industry
sreddy [at] dallasnews.com - Vijay Vaitheeswaran, author "Power
to the People,
worldwide energy and environment correspondent, The Economist,
also frequently on NPR
http://www.vijaytothepeople.com - Asian American Hotel Owners Association -
representing the thousands of motel and hotel owners (despite
the name, it's a South Asian group, not one representing the
larger Asian American community) see info below on its
efforts, (404) 816-5759
-back
to top-
South Asian Relief Operations and Story Ideas
- Sikh team rescues scriptures from Gurdwara
NPR: Hindu Priests Providing Comfort (click
on "listen to the story" and go to 4:30)
NOTE: SAJA does not endorse the fundraising efforts of any of these groups and encourages donors to conduct their own research into the missions of the groups and their track record with disaster relief.
- AAHOA, Asian American Hotel Owners Association
As we see the full impact of Hurricane Katrina, it is clear
that hundreds of thousands of people are in need of help,
some of whom now lack the most basic necessities of life.
In response, AAHOA will be making a contribution of $100,001
toward the relief efforts through the American Red Cross
and other initiatives. On a local level, AAHOA members
are doing a tremendous job in helping people in need in
many places. It is heartening to hear that our members
are doing such things as:
* Extending complimentary rooms
* Providing food and other essentials to storm refugees
* Opening up lobby areas as sleeping quarters
* Traveling on site to hoteliers in need with baskets of food
* Collecting tens of thousands of dollars in donations for relief efforts.
We, the AAHOA members, are part of a diverse American culture,
which has enabled us to achieve our “American Dream.” To
show our commitment, loyalty and solidarity with
our fellow Americans we have launched a campaign
to raise funds for the victims of Hurricane Katrina
in the Gulf States. All funds collected will
be turned over to the American Red Cross and
other charities.
While AAHOA will be making a contribution of $100,001 toward the relief efforts,
we also want to encourage each of you to help in any way you can. Here are
some ways you can do that:
* Send a check, payable to the AAHOA - Hurricane Relief Fund, to the AAHOA
office at 66 Lenox Pointe NE, Atlanta, GA 30324. All funds collected will
be turned over to the American Red Cross and other charities.
* Donate free room nights at your property by:
* Visiting your local American Red Cross to donate rooms.
* Sending an E-mail to the AAHOA office at roomnights [at] aahoa [dot] com with your
complimentary room allotment. All rooms collected will be coordinated with
FEMA and/or the American Red Cross.
* Coordinating with FEMA to donate rooms. While FEMA would certainly appreciate
complimentary rooms, they may be willing to pay for rooms as needed. Send
an E-mail to FEMA with your room allotment at private.sector [at] dhs [dot] gov. If
you are allotting rooms on a complimentary basis, please indicate as such
in your e-mail. We will continue to explore other ways in which AAHOA and
its members can assist in the national effort to recover from this disastrous
situation. - Global Organization of People of Indian Origin, GOPIO
GOPIO is a secular, non-partisan, not-for-profit, international
organization based in USA with chapters in various parts of the
globe, representing the interests and aspirations of People of Indian
Origin (PIOs), and promoting awareness and understanding of issues of
concern -- social, cultural, educational, economic, or political, to
global NRI/PIO community.
Checks to: GOPIO International
c/o Haresh Panchal, Treasurer
134 Sweet Berry Ct., San Jose CA 95439
408-772-8745 - National Federation of Indian American Associations
(NFIA)
6912 Winter Lane, Annandale VA 22003
(703) 642-3156
ranand2 [at] csulb [dot] edu
www.nfia.net
Rajen Anand (703) 642-3156
Radha Krishnan (248) 682-2106
Pramod Kamdar (210) 408-0959
Niraj Baxi (408) 307-9845
Aug. 30: NFIA WILL RAISE FUNDS TO
HELP HURRICANE VICTIMS
The
National Federation of Indian American Associations (NFIA),
an umbrella organization of various other associations
representing Americans who trace their roots to India
has launched a campaign to raise funds for the victims
of Hurricane Katrina that has caused havoc in the Gulf
States. All funds collected will be handed over to the
American Red Cross and other charities.
“Images on television of helicopters plucking frantic
survivors from rooftops, the catastrophic destruction of
entire towns left in the path of powerful hurricane that
has caused the loss of life of thousands of people and
made hundreds of thousands homeless in Louisiana, Mississippi,
and Alabama are bound to affect every human being,” observed
Rajen Anand, president of the NFIA. “The hurricane
Katrina’s howling, lethal force has dealt an immense
blow to the region and the dimensions of destruction are
unfathomable,” he added.
The tax deductible
checks payable to the NFIA-Hurricane Relief Fund
should be sent to NFIA 6912 Winter Lane, Annandale
VA 22003.
Further information can be obtained by calling
(703) 642-3156. - American Hindu Association http://www.americanhindu.net/Katrina.htm
The
National Federation of Indian American Associations (NFIA),
an umbrella organization of various other associations has
set up a Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund. The entire amount
of money collected will be handed over to the American Red
Cross for providing assistance to the hurricane victims.
Tax
deductible checks payable to NFIA Hurricane Relief Fund
should be sent to
NFIA
6912 Winter Lane
Annandale VA 22003.
Further information can be obtained by calling
(703) 642-3156. - Islamic Council of North America - a humanitarian
relief and development organization responding to human sufferings
in emergency and disaster situations at home and abroad. - HOUSTON-BASED EFFORTS
Volunteering in Houston: To serve food
and help at George Brown Convention
Center, please call
Hemendra Pal 713 306-2408 or Dhiraj Rathi 713-384-0068
Email to dhiraj_rathi [at] yahoo [dot] com Write VOLUNTEER and
your name on the
subject lineComputer assistance need: The ACT Center
(Astrodome Community Technology Center)
was set up in Astrodome. For more information, go to
the blog on our
site at http://www.techforall.org We
will be organizing to develop other sites. Pl Email kann [at] pdq [dot] net
if you want to help/coordinate with technology.Food: Take food
items to Food Bank or designated HEBs. If
you need list of
locations and items, please email kann [at] pdq [dot] netHousing: If you wish to accommodate some
people in your home
contact shelter
committee, prdesai1 [at] yahoo [dot] com. Sundaram " Sundy"
Srinivasan,
281-2851381,
Mob: 713-894962All Houston-area Indo-American organizations will
consolidate
through Indo-American Charities Sheela Rao
713-464-7780, With help from
IAF Harvinder Arora 281-980-1700 & ICC, Houston Vale
Subramaniyam 281-685-0081 - San Francisco/Bay Area Efforts
Hidaya, a Pakistani-American org
Waseem Baloch, founder, can provide info about relief effots
A good resource for involvement of Pakistani Americans is WikiPakistan,
run by Sabahat Ashraf, ifaqeer [at] gmail.com - Association for India's Development, AID
Please note that AID is not soliciting contributions for Hurricane
Katrina as AID's relief expertise and
sphere of influence are India-focussed. It has instead requested
its volunteers and supporters to directly provide support and
monetary contributions to sincere and committed community groups
and organizations directly involved in hurricane relief efforts.
See its efforts nationwide - India Development & Relief Fund, IDRF
Our volunteers in and Baton Rouge, LA are working with American
Red Cross and local voluntary organizations to assist in
providing relief efforts. There is a need for long term
rehabilitation and all your contributions will be directed
to the grass roots organizations.
Suresh Deopura
Phone: (510) 573-5100
Email: suresh [at] dewsoftware [dot] com
Babulal Gupta
Phone: (309) 663-9198
Email: Idrf_blg [at] yahoo [dot] com
Raghu Verabelli
Phone: (781) 270-2349
Email: idrfboston [at] yahoo [dot] com Vijay Pallod
Phone: (281) 568-4995
Email: pallod [at] aol [dot] com
Please make check payable to ‘IDRF’ (mention ‘Hurricane
Katrina’ in the memo) and mail it to:
IDRF, 4807 Phebe Ave, Fremont, CA
94555
Donate online for Hurricane Katrina victims by More About PayPal®
IDRF is
administered by volunteers without any honorarium or overhead. Thus, 100%
of your contribution will be disbursed directly to the NGO. Please check
out our website http://www.idrf.org for latest information. - National Council of Pakistani Americans
Sept. 4: NCPA is urging the Pakistani American community
to participate in the relief work for the victims of
Katrina. "Americans of all ethnicities,
faiths, and
backgrounds must come forward to give a helping hand
to the victims of Katrina. Those fellow citizens
who have faced the indescribable catastrophe in New
Orleans and Mississippi need our urgent attention
and utmost generosity" said
Faiz Rehman, President NCPA.
Please donate through the following charities:
American
Red Cross www.redcross.org
Islamic Relief http://irw.org/katrina/
ICNA Relief http://icnarelief.org/
Toll Free: 1-866-354-0102
The Hidaya Foundation http://www.hidayaorg
Salvation Army: 1-800-SAL-ARMY or www.salvationarmyusa.org - Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America, Inc.
National Office: P. O. Box 611, Iselin, NJ 08830
Make your check payable to VHP of America and In the memo line, write Katrina Relief Fund. Tel.: 732-744-0851
You can also contribute online by going to www.vhp-america.org You can use Visa and MasterCard or Discover card.
Contact Phones: Girish Gandhi, Vice President, Seva: 973-580-8451
Nachiketa Tiwari, Media & PR Coordinator: 508-261-1274
VHPA Office: Gaurang G. Vaishnav, General Secretary: 732-744-0851. - Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS)
Media Contact for further information about HSS relief
activities:
Amit Misra, 832 723 4776, amitmisra [at] sbcglobal [dot] netThe
HSS office at Keshav Smrithi, 4018 Westhollow Pkwy, Houston,
TX 77082 has
been designated as the contact point for all relief
efforts.
Amit Misra
Media Contact for Relief Coordination
amitmisra [at] sbcglobal [dot] net
832 723 4776
Sharad Amin
To join the relief activities sharad_a_049 [at] yahoo [dot] com 281
762 3178
Khanderao Kand About HSS sampark [at] hssworld [dot] org 408 368 2709
NOTE: SAJA does not endorse the fundraising efforts of any of these groups and encourages donors to conduct their own research into the missions of the groups and their track record with disaster relief.
South Asians
Affected in the Gulf Coast
Aug. 31: Indians
in Katrina-hit New Orleans take shelter in Baton Rouge by
Lalit K Jha
- SEWA International
SEWA International, Inc is a not for profit, non-religious,
non-political and Tax-exempt charitable organization under 501(c) (3)
with Tax Id # 20-0638718.
National coordinator Srikanth Konda (srikonda [at] yahoo [dot] com) 678-362-7480 or local
coordinators Dhiraj
Rathi (dhiraj_rathi [at] yahoo [dot] com) 713-384-0068 and Venkat Subramaniam 512-689-3256
Sewa volunteers in Texas and Louisiana are working with American Red Cross and
other organizations in providing immediate relief. We are identifying the long
term needs of the people and working with
governments of Louisiana and Mississippi in rebuilding homes. - American Hindu Association http://www.americanhindu.net/Katrina.htm
The National Federation of Indian American Associations (NFIA), an umbrella
organization of various other associations has set up a Hurricane Katrina
Relief Fund. The entire amount of money collected will be handed over to
the American Red Cross for providing assistance to the hurricane victims.
Tax deductible checks payable to NFIA Hurricane Relief Fund should be sent
to
NFIA
6912 Winter Lane
Annandale VA 22003.
Further information can be obtained by calling (703) 642-3156. - Islamic Center of
Lafayette, lft_masjid at yahoo.com - Islamic Center of Baton Rouge
reports hundreds of people staying there at an expense
of more than $1,000 per day
Donations are accepted at:
Islamic Center of Baton Rouge
820 W Chimes
Baton Rouge, LA 70802
Phone: 225-387-3617
For Additional Information, please
contact Abdus
Salaam at 225-288-3529. - Gulf Medical Relief Fund [GMRF]
c/o P.O. Box 10402
Greensboro, NC 27404 - Mohammad Mosque 65
2600 Plank Road
Baton Rouge, LA 70805
atten.: Minister Andrew Muhammad
225-923-1400
225-357-3079 - Sikh Council on Religion and Education (SCORE),
working to help
gurdwara in NO
Dr. Rajwant Singh, National Chairman, (202) 460 0630 - Sikh Society of South,
Katrina Relief Fund
Hibernia National Bank
Account # 208-05-59995
Tax ID # 72-0866136
Hibernia Toll-free: 1-800-262-5689
Hibernia.com
225-292-4112 h 225-205-3164 cell
Sikh Society of South, Inc.; Katrina Relief Fund at
Hibernia National Bank or mailed to:
Sikh Society of South, Inc.,12921 Deerpath Way,Baton
Rouge, LA 70816.Attention: Sumir Kaur Chehl, president - Assam Foundation of North America
Please send your Tax-exempt donation payable to AFNA
and write "Katrina Relief Fund" in the
memo.
c/o Pallabita Bhuyan; 30 Redland Place; The Woodlands,
TX 77382
- GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN:
Sept. 7: Pakistan Donates One Million Dollars in
Cash and Establishes Katrina Response Task Force
See full
press release here.
E-mail: katrinaresponse [at] embassyofpakistan.org - GOVERNMENT
OF INDIA:
Sept. 3: India Contributes $5 Million
NEW DELHI: India has contributed $5 million to the
US Red Cross for relief in New Orleans where Hurricane
Katrina has caused large-scale destruction, media
advisor to the Prime Minister Sanjaya Baru said on
Saturday. - PTI
Sept. 7: India's Relief supplies for New Orleans - Indian Embassy in Washington:
Sept. 4: In response to a question by a press correspondent
on the role of the Indian-American community in the
wake of the Katrina tragedy, Ambassador Ronen Sen said " I
appeal to all my fellow Indian Citizens in the U.S
to contribute generously to the American Red Cross
and other U.S. organizations which are in the forefront
of the rescue and relief operations. I am also confident
that the Indian-American community will actively assist
their fellow American citizens by volunteering their
services, particularly as doctors and specialists and
by making large financial contributions. America has
been good to the Indian community and this critical
moment of trial and tribulation offers both a challenge
and an opportunity for all people of Indian origin
to rise to the occasion when this great and good country
needs them. In doing so, they will also honor the traditions
of their country of origin." - GOVERNMENT OF SRI LANKA:
Sept. 1: Sri Lanka Expresses Sympathy on
Hurricane Devastation and Makes Token Contribution of $25,000
Towards Relief
President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and Foreign Minister Anura Bandaranaike,
who are presently in China on a State visit, have conveyed messages of sympathy
to the Government and the people of the USA, following the devastation caused
by Hurricane Katrina, in States of Mississippi and Louisiana.
On behalf of the people of Sri Lanka, the Sri Lanka Government is making a token
contribution of US$25,000 through the American Red Cross, towards providing relief
to those affected.
Expressing her sadness at the extent of the death and destruction, President Kumaratunga said “having experienced the fury of nature ourselves during the Indian Ocean Tsunami of December 26, 2004, the people of Sri Lanka and I fully comprehend the grief and the sense of loss experienced by the victims of the Hurricane.”
Recalling the spontaneous US response in the wake of the Tsunami that helped to mitigate the effects in the immediate aftermath of the disaster and in the recovery process, the President further extended profound sympathies and condolences on behalf of Sri Lanka to the families, who have lost their loved ones and expressed solidarity with the victims.
Foreign Minister Anura Bandaranaike, in a message to the Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, has also conveyed his sympathies and condolences to the families of those affected and expressed solidarity with the USA at this time of crisis.