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More Houston-Area Shelters Opened For Evacuees

Houstonians Donate Needed Items To Shelters

POSTED: Tuesday, August 30, 2005
UPDATED: 9:52 pm CDT August 30, 2005

Two more shelters were opened Tuesday afternoon for evacuees who fled to Houston from Hurricane Katrina, Local 2 reported.

The American Red Cross of Greater Houston opened shelters at Memorial Baptist Church, 600 W. Sterling, in Baytown and St. Peter Claver Catholic Church, 6005 North Wayside Drive, in Houston. Officials said they have the capacity to hold hundreds of evacuees.

The Baytown Community Center, a shelter that is located at 2407 Market St., is the temporary home for 320 refugees. Houstonians dropped off much-needed supplies, such as food, blankets, clothing and other items, at the makeshift shelter.

The Salvation Army in East Harris County opened a shelter Tuesday located at 2732 Cherrybrook Ln. in Pasadena, Texas.

The phone number is (713) 378-0020.

The shelter can hold about 200 people. It has food and showers, but does not have any bedding.

The Salvation Army said it could use food, bedding, baby products and any other product one might need in a shelter. They said they do not need clothes and cannot pick up items.

People can also donate money by calling (800) GIV-ARMY (448-2769), or online at Houston Salvation Army.

Checks may be sent to:
The Salvation Army
1500 Austin Street
Houston, TX 77002

Local business owners installed 30 animal kennels at the shelter so evacuees' pets could remain with their owners. Wal-Mart is supplying the pet food.


Video: Family Says Home Is Under Water
Want To Help? Local Donation Information
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Images Of Katrina's Damage

The Sullivan family traveled from New Orleans with seven children, ages 10 months to 20 years old. They said they are happy they left because homes in the area they are from are covered by water.

"There's nothing we can say. I am speechless. It came up so unexpectedly. The other day I was at school doing work, wishing I didn't have to go to school, and now I wish I could go back, " New Orleans resident Destiny Sullivan said.

Ella Hatcher spent her birthday at the shelter with half of her family, including a 15-day-old baby.

"It's like -- it's not really happening to me because we never went through a disaster," she said.

Hatcher waits for word from family members they have not seen since they evacuated.

"We haven't heard a word from them since we've been here and we've been here three days," she said.

Gabriella Wyman found out about her home Tuesday.

"Everybody lost all their homes. None of us have homes to go home to -- nothing. It's gone. We don't have nothing to go home to," she said.

Evacuees are not expected to return to Louisiana for several more days.

Lee College, 200 Lee Drive in Baytown, opened its doors Tuesday to refugees who want to shower.

Another shelter is located at the Mont Belvieu Senior Center, 11607 Eagle Drive.

For information on these shelters, call the American Red Cross hot line at (866) GET-INFO.

Louisiana State Police Open Road Closure Hot Line

Floodwaters wreaked havoc on Louisiana's highways, which forced authorities to shut down some areas of Interstate 10 Monday.

For the latest traffic conditions in Louisiana, drivers should call the Louisiana State Police Road Closure hot line at (800) 469-4828.

Authorities said callers should be patient because the hot line is very busy and callers might have a difficult time getting through.

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