News from the ND Club of Atlanta

Dear ND Club of Atlanta Members and friends,

The storms that came through the South last week caused severe damage and has impacted the lives of many of our fellow Georgians. The Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) has recently declared Saturday, May 6th as Georgia Volunteer Saturday. While the timing and short notice preclude our Club from organizing a large scale effort to support this, we would like to make as many of you as possible aware of this initiative. We have also called the Georgia Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD) Coordinator to determine which volunteer organizations are the most trustworthy and dependable should any of members care to donate funds for relief efforts. The links to the organizations identified are below. The two major organizations are the American Red Cross of North Georgia and the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church.

Please consider contributing your support with time or funding to either or both of these valuable organizations.

Here are their web sites if you would like more information:

http://ngumc.org/

http://www.nwgaredcross.org/

Here is the information for volunteering tomorrow. There are several counties that have requested volunteer support:

Georgia Emergency Management Agency

NATHAN DEAL GOVERNOR	CHARLEY ENGLISH DIRECTOR
NEWS RELEASE Volunteers Needed for Tornado Clean Up *Georgia Volunteer Saturday is May 7* (ATLANTA) — The Georgia Emergency Management Agency/Homeland Security, the Georgia Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster and Americorps Georgia are seeking volunteers to help the clean up efforts following an outbreak of deadly tornadoes that killed 15 Georgians and injured 115 and damaged more than 2,000 homes, according to preliminary damage assessments. Georgia Volunteer Saturday will be held on Saturday, May 7. People should come prepared to remove debris, rake yards, chainsaw trees, and assist with general clean up efforts. Be sure to wear work clothes and sturdy gloves and bring tools such as chainsaws, hammers, hats and goggles, in addition to plenty of sunscreen, food and water. Volunteers may check in at 8:00 a.m. at any Volunteer Coordination Center for assignments: Dade County Sheriff’s Office 5 Case Ave. Trenton, Ga. 30752 Floyd County 300 West 3rd St. Rome, Ga. 30165 Please note: Call or e-mail drc@floydcounty.net or 706-291-5144 to register or for more information. Lamar County 100 Commerce Place Barnesville Ga. 30204 Meriwether County 120 West Perry St. Manchester, Ga. 31816 Spalding County Voters Registration Office 819 Memorial Dr. Griffin, Ga. 30223 Please note: 9:00 a.m. start time at this location Catoosa County Methodist Church 7484 Nashville St. Ringgold, Ga. 30736 Please note: Call 706-935-2109 or 706-935-2199 before coming GEMA/Homeland Security is the lead state agency for coordination of emergency and disaster response activities. For more information on GEMA, visit www.gema.ga.gov. To learn how to prepare for disaster and create a custom kit and plan, visit www.ready.ga.gov. For specific risks in your community, contact your local emergency management agency. Follow GEMA at www.twitter.com/georgiaema, www.facebook.com/gema.ohs, and www.youtube.com/ReadyGAfromGEMA. # # # Post Office Box 18055 - Atlanta, Georgia 30316-0055 Phone (404) 635-7000 or toll-free in Georgia 1-800-TRY-GEMA - Fax (404)635-7205 www.gema.ga.gov www.ready.ga.gov

May is the Hesburgh Month of Service for Notre Dame Clubs around the country. Please send me an email at mdesrosi@bellsouth.net if you were able to assist in any of these initiatives so that we may compile a summary of the support that our Club provided to our fellow Georgians. I will be in Floyd County tomorrow with a chain saw in the hope to lend a hand to some people who still need assistance. I hope that you are able to help in one way or another and thank you all in advance for any support that you can provide. There is never a good time for a disaster and we realize that many of us probably have previous plans. Anything that you can do to support this effort will be appreciated!!

Thanks again for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Leo Desrosiers
Community Service Coordinator

Volunteers Needed for Tornado Clean Up

Community Service

May 20: Friday Night Jazz