HANDS ON DISASTER RESPONSE SENDS TEAM TO ASSESS CALIFORNIA WILDFIRE DAMAGE AND RELIEF EFFORT

Local group assessing the possibility of coordinating a volunteer relief project

CARLISLE, MA 10/26/07 – Hands On Disaster Response (HODR), a volunteer-driven, 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization, has dispatched a team to assess the areas affected by wildfires in California. The on-going fires have already destroyed 2,205 structures and approximately 427,217 acres have burned. There are currently 33,985 structures reportedly threatened. At the height of the fires, 900,000 people were evacuated, but that number continues to fall as evacuations are lifted. At least 12 people have died.

Upon arrival, the HODR assessment team will tour the affected areas, meet with local officials and survivors and work in conjunction with other NGOs in an effort to identify and evaluate the needs facing the region. Once the assessment team gathers information from the affected areas they will post updates on what they learn and find. Updates will be posted on HODR’s website www.hodr.org.

Should HODR decide to deploy and coordinate a volunteer relief project, they will immediately begin accepting donations and volunteers. HODR relies on the support of donors to run successful relief projects and all funds donated to HODR go directly towards these efforts. Please give generously to support the volunteers and the people they assist. Anyone interested in making a tax-deductible donation can do so securely on their website www.hodr.org.

For additional information on HODR’s California Wildfire assessment please visit www.hodr.org or contact Paula Ogletree at 706-476-0310 or paula@hodr.org.
                
ABOUT: Hands On Disaster Response is a US-based, volunteer-driven, 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization dedicated to timely disaster response and relief. HODR strives to provide hands-on relief to survivors of natural disasters with maximum speed and minimum bureaucracy. Our projects focus on applying volunteer resources and expertise to communities affected by natural disaster. Previous projects have included Thailand (2004 Southeast Asian Tsunami), USA (Hurricane Katrina), Indonesia (2006 Jogjakarta earthquake), and the Philippines (Typhoon Reming). Donations made to HODR are tax deductible.