A disaster zone under marshal law. Estimates of thousands dead and $50 billion dollars in damage. The speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Dennis Hastert, has suggested New Orleans might well be “bulldozed” rather than rebuilt.

 

I just talked to my friend and colleague Charles Pizzo who is a fellow communicator and one of the affected by Hurricane Katrina. Pizzo and his mom fled their homes in New Orleans. They were amongst the more fortunate who were able to get out before the mandatory evacuation. Despite their early start, Charles spent hours trying to find accommodation that fit their needs. Originally, the closest they could find was a hotel in Little Rock, Arkansas. After spending part of the first night in their car they were able to find a place in Fort Worth, Texas.

 

Pizzo intimately knows the damage caused not only by the hurricane itself, but by the damage of flood waters including rampant disease being spread by spreading sewage, the many dead, and a lack of medicine, food, and potable water. Charles calls it “a fecal cholera death swamp.”

 

The Gulf Coast needs your help. I just made a donation and I challenge you to do the same. Here’s a list (compliments of CNN.com) of places you can direct your help:

 

• Network for Good

• American Red Cross -- (800) HELP-NOW

• Feed the Children -- (800) 525-7575

• Salvation Army -- (800) SAL-ARMY

• Florida Hurricane Relief Fund

• America's Second Harvest -- (800) 771-2303

• Catholic Charities USA -- (800) 919-9338

• B'nai B'rith International -- (888) 388-4224

• United Jewish Communities

• Union for Reform Judaism

• Church World Service -- (800) 297-1516 ext 222

• MercyCorps -- (888) 256-1900

• Noah’s Wish -- (530) 622-9313

• North Shore Animal League -- (877) 4-save-pet

• Operation Blessing -- (800) 730-2537

• Episcopal Relief and Development -- (800) 334-7626

• Habitat for Humanity -- (800) HABITAT

• The United Way -- (800) 272-4630

• Humane Society of America -- (888) 259-5431

• ASPCA -- (866) 275-3923

• Lutheran Disaster Response -- (800) 638-3522

• Mennonite Disaster Service -- (800) 348-7468

• Water Missions International -- (843) 769-7395

• United Methodist Committee on Relief -- (800) 554-8583

• The Baton Rouge Area Foundation -- (877) 387-6126

• Society of St. Vincent de Paul

• Samaritan’s Purse -- (800) 665-2843

• Christian Reformed World Relief Committee -- (800) 55-CRWRC

• Food for the Hungry -- (877) 780-4261 ext 2506

• Northwest Medical Teams -- (800) 959-4325

• World Relief -- (800) 535-5433

• Adventist Development Relief Agency -- (800) 424-2372

• Southern Baptist Convention -- (888) 571-5895

• Save the Children -- (800) 728-3843

• International Medical Corps -- (800) 481-4462

• American Friends Service Committee -- (888) 588-2378

• AmeriCares -- (800) 486-4357

• International Aid -- (800) 251-2502

• International Medical Corps -- (800) 481-4462

• International Orthodox Christian Charities -- (877) 803 4622

• International Relief and Development, Inc. -- (703) 248-0161

• International Relief Teams -- (619) 284-7979

• International Rescue Committee -- (877) 733-8433

• Life for Relief and Development -- (800) 827-3543

• MAP International -- (866) 627-4483

• Mercy (M-USA) -- (800) 55-MERCY

• Operation USA -- (800) 678-7255

• Oxfam America -- (800) 77O-XFAM

• Relief International -- (800) 573-3332

• World Concern -- (800) 755-5022 ext. 0

• Moveon.org: Hurricane housing

 

Pizzo and other communicators could use your help too. They’ve lost most if not everything. Despite being one of the so-called lucky ones, Pizzo’s business – like many dozens of other communicators and like professionals in New Orleans and the GulfCoast – was largely “washed away.” In satellite photos posted on the Web, Charles was able to identify his house, surrounded in water – only his roof visible. Photos of his mom’s house shows nothing but water. Likely gone forever.

 

If you’re a communicator or business manager and owner and need outside help then give Pizzo a call. He’s an extremely talented man and here’s a rare chance to reap the rewards and assistance of a senior practitioner who has some rare bandwidth. You can Skype him at: charlespizzo. Or call him at: (817) 263-9006 ext 7410 (room 135).

 

Other commumunicators are also in need of work:

 

Read Shel Holtz’s blog: New Orleans communicator seeks help communicating

Read Warren Bickford’s blog: Post jobs for victims of Hurricane Katrina - FREE