Responding to the unprecedented devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, and the enormity of the task to provide housing for thousands of families, two websites created to provide assistance through individual RV or Camper donations are steadily gaining momentum. Imagineitfirst.com and RVforHumanity.org are facilitating donations by individual Americans wanting to donate the use of their RV's and Campers, permanently or temporarily, directly to these families. The websites are successfully connecting the RV community with families displaced by Hurricane Katrina.
(PRWEB) October 14, 2005 -- As Government Agencies, Relief Agencies and Individual Americans scramble to provide temporary housing for thousands of families left homeless by Hurricane Katrina, two websites created to connect the RV community with families and churches in need of housing have been steadily gaining momentum...
Viewing the devastation as it was unfolding, two individuals, realizing that housing would quickly become major problem, envisioned a way they could assist in providing housing for these families. Independent of each other, Eric Thompson created RVforHumanity.org and Elizabeth Kirker created imagineitfirst.com. When Eric found Elizabeth's site, he contacted her. They quickly discerned that both websites shared the same specific vision to provide direct assistance though individual vehicle donations. Realizing each site was focusing on different approaches with the same ultimate goal, they decided that they could be even more effective by supporting each other.
As a direct result of their combined efforts, RVforHumanity.org and imagineitfirst.com are making it possible for individuals and organizations to donate a recreational vehicle directly to a family or church.
RVforHumanity.org is a faith based, church affiliated organization doing all they can to assist the evacuees by providing RV's directly to a church to be utilized as temporary housing. They only accept permanent donations, and are able to provide assistance with transportation, title transfer and tax write offs.
Imagineitfirst.com is providing direct communication for RV owners who wish to donate the use of their vehicle, temporarily or permanently, to a family in immediate need of housing, and for the families in desperate need of assistance.
This is a long term commitment for both website owners, they realize the enormous effort that will be required to provide housing for thousands and thousands of families that are now homeless in the months ahead. They are aware that what FEMA is providing is substantial, but that FEMA will not be capable of assisting every family. Therefore, they are very clear that even though their combined efforts may appear to be just "A drop in the Bucket", that "EVERY drop counts..."
If you have been thinking that the RV or camper parked in your driveway could be used by one of the families desperately needing housing, but had no idea how to directly contact a family that could utilize your vehicle as temporary housing, now you can.
A Edward Everett Hale quote on Imagineitfirst's homepage clarifies what motivated both individuals to create their websites:
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I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something.
And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.
- Edward Everett Hale
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MT. Pilgrim Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, LA, received their first donated RV from RVforHumanity.org on October 4, 2005. MT. Pilgrim's church secretary, Irma C. Miller, exclaimed, "We love all of you dearly and will never forget your kind deeds!" Attached is a photo of Irma with the RV when it was delivered.
Imagineitfirst.com was recently featured in The Coast News, a local newspaper in San Luis Obispo County, California. Coast News reporter, Ashley Schwellenbach, titled the article "New Website Responds to Katrina Victims' Housing Crises". Ms. Kirker's efforts are also being supported by Robin Hayhurst, District Director for Assemblyman, Sam Blakeslee.
Elizabeth is also being assisted nationally, she provided a printable flyer on her "About Us" page at imagineitfirst.com. Her "on-line" friends have printed and distributed it, and helped to pass the information along. One individual, "Shado", had magnets made of the flyer and placed them on his vehicle. If you live in Las Vegas, you just might see him driving around!
Gary R. Sloate, owner of Gmagic Media Inc., provided Elizabeth with a copy of his "Hurricane Katrina Tribute" video to use on the imagineitfirst.com homepage. The video has been viewed well over a million times worldwide. The Washington Post reported that there was a "A Whirlwind of Emotions" at the black tie event on the last Night of the CBC Conference, "...an emotional slide show and presentation (Gmagic) on Katrina, honoring the hurricane workers".
To provide additional assistance to Hurricane Katrina victims, Ms. Kirker is hosting a webpage located at "www.justgiving.com/pfp/imagineitfirst" supporting the World Vision Hurricane Katrina Relief Effort.
Background Information:
Initially, the decision to create imagineitfirst.com was in response to a reply, "Good idea, but how?", to an editorial "EJ Kirker" wrote to her local newspaper. She contacted Katrina Blankenship at katrina.com and shared the vision with her. Even though Katrina was overwhelmed maintaining her website, she listened and they stayed in touch. Through their combined efforts, imagineitfirst.com became a reality on September 11, 2005.
Imagineitfirst.com is providing direct communication between the RV Community and families left homeless by Hurricane Katrina utilizing their website.
Katrina Blankenship continues to facilitate direct assistance for hurricane victims in various ways through her website at katrina.com. Currently, katrina.com is sponsoring a "Katrina Angel Tree", a program designed to provide assistance by sending a Katrina family a personalized Christmas package. If you can help or have questions, please e-mail Katrina and put "Angel Tree" in the subject line.
EJ Kirker
imagineitfirst
PO Box 603
Grover Beach, CA 93433
Background Information:
RvforHumanity.org is a privately established website that helps link RV donors with a recognized non-profit organization (World Vision) or church in the affected areas. Our sole function is to coordinate the relationship between the donor and receiving (non-profit) organization. Vehicles must be functional and transportable but need not be in perfect condition.
RvforHumanity.org collects relevant data about the vehicle including its condition and location and connects the donor with a non-profit partner in the affected areas.
How You Can Help:
- Donate an RV to an approved Non-Profit organization through the website.
- Adopt a community. Provide parking space for two or more recreational vehicles as well as toilet and bathing facilities.
- Promote RvforHumanity.org and Imagineitfirst.com through web-links, media and word of mouth.
If you can help or have questions, please contact them.
Eric Thompson
PMB 602
321 High School Road NE
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
Tel. (206) 601-4815
Fax. (206) 374-2884
Press Contact:
Steven Purcell
Tel. (206) 300-5537
Fax. (206) 374-2884
World Vision Hurricane Katrina Response
Donate Your RV or Camper... Help Someone In Need!
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