Information from FEMA on Donations for Joplin, MO

Good afternoon everyone!

I'm currently working in FEMA's National Response Coordination Center in support of the disaster operation in Joplin MO. As a member of the donations management community, your help is requested in getting a strong donations message out to Facebook and Twitter networks, your friends, family and colleagues, and partner organizations that unsolicited donations of "stuff" (e.g. used clothing, miscellaneous food items, household goods) are NOT needed. The community is now facing a situation where the management of these donations is taking attention, focus, and energy away from relief activities.

The message that FEMA and the state of Missouri wish to have distributed is:

• Cash is best. It doesn't need to be sorted, stored or distributed, and cash allows the receiving voluntary agency to direct the donation to the needs that most urgently need addressing. Go to www.aidmatrix.org/fema and click on "Missouri" for links to voluntary agencies helping on the ground.
• For information on other ways to help go to: www.fema.gov/rebuild/recover/howtohelp.shtm.

Thanks for your help!

Susan Jensen