ATTENTION MICHIGAN KOSSACKS
I just got off the phone with someone at Channel 4 WDIV who confrimed that a number of Katrina refugees will be brought to Detroit area hotels. She didn't know much more than that, but suggested everyone call the Southeast Michigan Red Cross at (313) 833-4440. Below the fold is a story from the Detroit News
Detroit might be down on its luck, but Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and other government officials said Thursday its people stand ready to help victims of Hurricane Katrina.
The mayor announced that the city and region will begin a multipronged campaign to bring evacuees here both temporarily and, if they can be enticed, permanently. The mayor would like to open up the city as a site where the Federal Emergency Management Agency can bring people who have lost their homes and livelihoods.
"The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina is sobering, and our hearts and minds are with those who have suffered losses," the mayor said. "We want the victims of Katrina to know that Detroit is willing to help provide relief in any way we can and that those who are being evacuated have a place to come in Detroit."
Hoping to assist victims and perhaps gain a few more citizens, Kilpatrick said the plan involves housing evacuees in area hotels on a short-term basis and providing them with everything from food and medical care to education....
Dr. Jenny Atas, who heads the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services public health emergency team in the region, said volunteers from the medical industry are being sought to care for evacuees.
Kilpatrick says private bus companies have pledged to drive victims, but he's hoping that an airline will volunteer to fly people to Detroit. The mayor has asked Gov. Jennifer Granholm to use Selfridge Air Base for transporting victims.
Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano says the effort is reflective of a selfless region. "Our economy might be struggling the most, yet it is this city, this county, this region that is opening up," Ficano said...
In other relief efforts, the city will set up red barrels along streets and at Ford Field to collect donations for the Red Cross. The city intends to create a nonprofit organization to handle donations, and Ford Field will be made available for a benefit concert. Ficano says Wayne County's Web site will accept donations electronically.
It's time to take care of family.