Craziness everywhere!

I HAD to buy gas today. Guess how much to fill a 13 gallon tank? $40! This is ridiculous! I'm scared to even go anywhere far now just because I'm hearing of gas shortages, and now it's $40 just for a tank of gas. This is at least 2x what I have prepared in my already tight budget. On top of that we have this craziness happening with the disaster in the southern states. I was talking to someone last night while on "The Walk" and they said that if you applied the catastrophe here, basically the entire city of St. Louis, east St. Louis, and it's nearby counties would be flooded with water! WOW! Here's a letter if you are interested in helping. Unfortunately I have to work so I can't help, but maybe you can. Who's making fun of me now for choosing to live close to my work? I am just in shock that gas went up literally .40 in 2 days (I knew it was coming, but that doesn't make it any easier:(

From Habitat for Humanity:

Hello All,

I am a St. Louis Habitat Volunteer and am organizing a Health Kit and Flood Bucket drive to be held this Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 3 and 4th, 9:00am-9:00pm each day, at the Deer Creek Shopping Center parking lot, between Big Bend and Laclede Station Rd, in Maplewood, MO. (Across the street from Maple Days.) We'll be collecting kitsand items for kits that meet the guidelines set by United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) (www.umcor.org) or see below. These kits have the essentials needed to take a small step towards recovery after a disaster.

*Volunteers are needed at the collection site, and may have to assemble the kits from donated materials.

*One or two hour shifts would likely be the ideal arrangement, but if you can stay longer it would be great!

* Time is of the essence.

*Can't volunteer? Stop by the collection site and say "hi" in any case.

Please pass this information along to anyone you know. If you know of any business willing to donate materials or other supplies, please pass this on. There is much still to do.

Below are the lists for Flood Buckets and Health Kits.

Health Kits are a PRIORITY.

Please respond if available to volunteer.

Thank you,

Dale Chambers

c. 314-724-1905

Guidelines for Health Kit

A Health Kit contains specific items:

1 hand towel (15" x 25" up to 17" x 27")
1 wash cloth
1 comb (large and sturdy, not pocket-sized)
1 nail file or fingernail clippers (no emery boards or toenail clippers)
1 bath-size bar of soap (3 oz and up)
1 toothbrush (single brush only in original wrapper; no child-sized brushes)
1 large tube of toothpaste (4.5 or larger, expiration date must be 6 months or longer in advance of the date of shipment to Sager Brown)
6 adhesive plastic strip sterile bandages

All items should be placed inside a sealed one-gallon plastic bag. No money, notes, religious or political literature, or other items should be placed in the kits.

From the Humane Society:

Emergency Foster Homes Needed
Cats, dogs, horses and farm animals displaced by Hurricane Katrina need temporary homes

The Humane Society of Missouri has received numerous calls from people who have fled the Hurricane Katrina disaster area and have arrived in St. Louis needing temporary boarding for their pets. To aid these storm victims, we have set up an Emergency Foster Animal Clearinghouse to help match persons with animals needing boarding with persons who have available space.

If you are willing to help people with pets, horses or farm animals in need and have facilities to provide for them, please sign up as a foster home via our web site. We will contact you as we have requests for the service you are able to provide.

Thank you very much for your generosity in this time of great need. Please forward this email to others who might be interested in providing foster animal care.

If you would like to donate to help support the eight-person Humane Society of Missouri Disaster Response Team currently rescuing animals in the hurricane stricken area, please call 314-951-1542 or make a contribution on our secure website. Read more>>

PLEASE NOTE: Because this is an emergency situation, the Humane Society of Missouri is acting merely as a clearinghouse and makes no guarantee about the health or suitability of animals or suitability of foster homes.