World Shelters' team has returned to California and Washington after
six weeks in the Mississippi Gulf area, with a short stay in Alabama
while dodging Hurricane Rita. Sixty- five shelters were set up, some
taken down and moved, resulting in 80 deliveries. Many people were helped,
many lessons were learned, many frustrations met, and many friends were
made.
Some materials and equipment were left secure in a warehouse in the Gulfport, MS, anticipating more activity as plans move forward on the Neighborhood Clusters project. Government agencies, non-government organizations and individuals slowly move the process forward to discover ways to truly help people who suffered loss in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
We're very glad to have our team home. Each one of them find the need to continue to process and share their experiences. Many of the volunteers who assisted the World Shelters staff reside in the Seattle area, and have kept up a lively exchange of impressions. The Seattle contingent has also continued to actively fundraise to cover their own expenses incurred during their time in the Gulf area, as well as adding to the general fund of World Shelters.
Pakistan Relief
We now are moving forward with phone calls, e-mails and planning going
back and forth between World Shelters representatives and people in
both India and Pakistan, looking for ways that we can help give shelter
to the people in Kashmir who have lost so much in their earthquakes.
World Shelters has received their formal letter of determination as a tax-exempt organization (no longer "pending") under section 501(c)(3) from the Department of Treasury. (All donations made to World Shelters before this letter of determination are tax-deductible contributions for tax purposes.)