St. Tammany Parish needs your help. Hurricane Katrina has left many citizens of St. Tammany Parish with little or no resources. Among our most pressing needs are paying for medical care, restoring public health, supporting our emergency responders, and putting our citizens back to work. We have a non-profit charitable foundation established to help the citizens of St. Tammany. We are asking for your tax-deductible contributions. Among the things your contributions will support are medicines for disaster victims, disease prevention initiatives, and other costs that are not normally covered by relief agencies or FEMA.

Send your contributions to:

Northshore Pelican Foundation
c/o James Smith
PO Box 628
Covington, Louisiana 70434

The Northshore Pelican Foundation is a 501(c) 3 non-profit corporation and contributions are tax deductible.

FEMA TRANSITIONAL HOUSING: Anyone in need of transitional housing must call FEMA to get your name on the list. 1-800-621-FEMA or 1-800-621-3362. FEMA is determining housing priorities.

SOCIAL SECURITY: The Social Security Office in Covington is open on Third Street and Highway 190 behind Wendy’s. The Tangipahoa Parish Social Security Office is located at 2100 Robin Avenue, Hammond (I-12 west, exit I-55 south to New Orleans, take next Hammond exit, go past the Holiday Inn, turn left at Hibernia Bank, it’s on the right side; 985-345-0335. The Washington Parish Social Security Office is located at 205 Arkansas, Bogalusa; 985-735-6579.

MEDICAL ASSISTANCE: The following medical centers are open and will take insurance or will offer emergency assistance at no charge if you need immediate medical care:

United Med Care, Folsom, Saia's Supermarket Center

United Med Care, 2639 N. Causeway Blvd, Mandeville

United Med Care, MASH Unit, 2104 Highway 190 W, near Airport Rd, Slidell

Oak Harbor, EMT MASH Unit, serving first responders & neighborhood residents

Trinity Presbyterian Church, MASH unit, S. Military Rd, Slidell – Opens Sunday

Southern Pine Family Medical Clinic – Dr. Butt, Pearl River

Fire Department, Sun, Nurses available

Approximately 90% TO 95% of St. Tammany physicians are operational; however, they may not have phone service. If you need you physician’s medical assistance, go to your physician’s office or call the hospital with which your physician is affiliated to leave a message.

The Community Wellness Center, 1505 N. Florida Street in Covington, is open daily from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, providing immunizations including the free Tetanus-Diphtheria shot provided from the Office of Pubic Health. They can also register storm survivors for WIC food assistance and Medicaid.

VA Services are available in Hammond off West Monroe by the Toyota dealership.

DRINKING WATER – SOME AREA RESTRICTIONS REMAIN: The following water systems have either tested positive for bacteria or have yet to be tested. This means that residents in the following residential areas should continue to boil their water until they test negative:

Every resident of the above mentioned areas should continue to boil the water; Louisiana DHH continues to sample some private water systems. Be sure you know who the provider of your water is before you begin to drink the water. This is a very serious public health issue. If you have ANY doubt about the safety of your water, CONTINUE TO BOIL. Due to the extensive number of water systems in St. Tammany Parish, we cannot list many of the smaller private wells and systems. Call the Parish Department of Environmental Services at 898-2535 for additional water information from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM for detailed information. You may also call the LA Department of Health and Hospitals at 893-6296.

SUPPLIES: Water and ice are available from 7 am to 8 pm at the following FEMA distribution centers:

The following items are available at these shelters:

NORTH CROSS UNITED METHODIST IS USING THE COQUILLE SPORTS COMPLEX ON 1085 as a distribution center for about 15 tons of food and supplies. It is located near the intersection of Hwy. 1077 and Hwy. 1085, just north of I-12 over here in Madisonville. They are staffing it with volunteers each day from 9 AM until noon and have the following items ready for distribution:

Water, Non-perishable foods, Clothing, Personal Hygiene Items, Bedding, Toys, and more.

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, COVINGTON AT LA 21 AND HWY 1085

Open 9 am to noon daily except Sunday 892-2149

Food, Baby Care Items, Personal Care Items

GRACE MEMORIAL BAPTIST CHURCH, E. GAUSE BLVD. & PEARL ST., SLIDELL

Showers!!!!!!!, Hot Meals, Non-perishable food, Water & beverages, Baby products, Hygiene products, Clothing

HARVEST CHURCH, PONTCHARTRAIN DRIVE, SLIDELL

Hot meals, Non-perishable food, Water & beverages, Baby products, Hygiene products

TAMMANY OAKS CHURCH OF CHRIST, HIGHWAY 59, MANDEVILLE

Non-perishable food, Water & beverages, Baby products, Hygiene products, some clothing

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, PONTCHARTRAIN DRIVE, SLIDELL

Non-perishable food, Water & beverages, Baby products, Hygiene products, some clothing

NEW JERUSALEM PRAISE & WORSHIP CHURCH, MILITARY ROAD, PEARL RIVER

Open 9am – 3pm, Monday - Saturday

Food, Clothes, Furniture, & Assistance

COOK’S, FRONT STREET, SLIDELL (next to French Market Produce)

· 3 meals daily, water & other items.

OAK PARK, SLIDELL – 1241 7TH STREET BEHIND CHASE BANK – DEUCOUESS HOME CARE

· Food, clothing, supplies

AMERICAN RED CROSS FINANCIAL AID: PLEASE BE PATIENT. Red Cross has over 740 volunteers from both in and out of the state. On Sunday, September 11, the American Red Cross launched a toll-free call center to provide financial resources, from $360 to $1,500 to hurricane survivors across the nation to meet their immediate disaster-caused needs. This financial assistance program is distributed from the national headquarters only; although at the local level the Red Cross is providing shelter, food, water, ice, and other needed relief items. Applicants must call the 1-800-975-7585 telephone number to register. The local chapters, shelters, and food distribution areas have no financial assistance on hand and cannot accept applications. With hundreds of thousands of families affected by Hurricane Katrina, the Red Cross asks that people who are able to wait a short time for assistance allow their neighbors with the most critical needs to access the system first. Financial assistance is based on factors such as family size, residence, and costs of necessities. One member of each household should call 1-800-975-7585.

SHELTER/HOT MEALS INFORMATION: Red Cross is serving meals, in the various shelters, twice a day – midday and early evening. For specific times, check with the specific shelters located at:

Pineview Middle School, Covington

Abita Springs Middle School, Abita Springs

Fifth Ward Junior High School, Bush

Sixth Ward Elementary School, Pearl River

Riverside Elementary School, Pearl River

North Shore High School, Slidell

William Pitcher Junior High School, Covington

Pearl River High School, Pearl River

In Tangipahoa Parish: Harvest World Outreach and Emmanuel Baptist Church in Hammond

In Washington Parish: Bogalusa Memorial Baptist on Columbia

In addition to the shelters, meals are also being served throughout St. Tammany Parish by Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicles (ERVs). The ERVs make frequent stops in all cities of the parish to distribute food.

There are currently 400 individual families or 850 people in the Red Cross shelters.

http://www.stpgov.org/news/2005/09192005-StTammanyParishUpdate_1pm.html