OAKLAND, Calif., Sept. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- The California Nurses Association (CNA) and the National Nurses Organizing Committee (NNOC) is sending its second and third delegations of RN volunteers to the Hurricane Katrina disaster area on Wednesday, Sept. 7.
Nearly 50 RNs are traveling to Houston to care for evacuees in the Astrodome and other Houston sites, and almost 20 more heading to a hospital in Lake Charles, LA. On Tuesday, 20 RNs landed in Mississippi and will begin providing care to those affected by Katrina at Stone County Hospital in Wiggins, Ms, near Gulfport, Ms. The RNs have signed up for ten-day shifts.
The CNA/NNOC continues to receive high demand from across the region for more large groups of RNs. Some 500 RNs have already signed up to volunteer in the region through CNA/NNOC and scores more volunteer by the hour. CNA/NNOC continues to be in contact with health providers across the affected region that are requesting more RN volunteers be sent.
To assist this humanitarian effort, CNA/NNOC is also requesting individuals and businesses to support these efforts. Donors can make tax- deductible, secure online contributions through the CNA website at www.calnurses.org, then by clicking on the Hurricane Katrina link.
Companies interested in donating materials should contact CNA by calling 510-273-2239. Over the weekend, the REI outdoor recreation store branch in Berkeley donated 36 boxes of materials for RNs to bring to the disaster zone.
"Hurricane Katrina has become a public health crisis and every moment we lose in responding increases the risk to the health of Gulf Coast residents already adversely affected by this disaster," said CNA President Deborah Burger, RN. "The response from nurses in California and across the nation to our appeal for help has been overwhelming and heartwarming. Now we need to make sure all of them are able to provide the care so desperately needed. RNs who want to help can sign up directly online at www.calnurses.org to sign up. We also have a desperate need for donations to support the work of these heroic nurses," Burger added.
California Nurses AssociationCONTACT: Charles Idelson, +1-510-273-2246, or +1-415-559-8991 (cell), orShum Preston, +1-510-273-2276, both for California Nurses Association
Web site: http://www.calnurses.org/
