January 9, 2006

“It’s in the Bag/The Home Essentials Project” – After Hurricane Katrina, F-to-F connected over 1,000 displaced Katrina families with an equal number of sponsoring families who helped supply them with basic essentials (e.g., toasters, pots, blankets, towels, flatware, clothing) once they landed in some form of housing. Sponsoring families emailed Family-to-Family and were matched with Katrina families referred to F-to-F by The Red Cross, the Salvation Army, the United Way and the Houston Housing Authority.

Through the “Guest Shopper” program in 2006, F-to-F raised approximately $15,000 from corporations and other groups for Hurricane Katrina families. A member of Family-to-Family acted as a “volunteer shopper”, contacting Katrina families, finding out what they needed most, shopping online for them, and having the items shipped to them, using the donated funds.

Katrina Holiday Toy Drive – F-to-F organized a toy drive in December of 2005 for Katrina families in 7 gulf communities that yielded over 12,000 donated toys, wrapping paper and ribbon. Toys were collected by families, scout troops, offices, etc.  Freight trucks were donated, funds were raised at work-place Holiday parties… even a group of September 11 families came forward with over $10,000 for F-to-F to purchase and ship toys to where they were needed the most.