UTMB launches Hurricane Isaac relief and supplies drive
Two institutes at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston have launched a relief effort to help people and communities in Louisiana and Mississippi who were victims of Hurricane Isaac.
The UTMB National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences’ Core Center in Environmental Toxicology and the UTMB Institute for Translational Sciences are accepting donations such as cleaning supplies, tools and personal hygiene items.
In conjunction with the Louisiana Environmental Action Network the UTMB institutes have already begun to assess disaster response needs and to provide aid to residents in the form of material goods for reentry and cleanup, especially those needed or related to the prevention of injuries or diseases associated with the flooding and extensive damage to homes and community infrastructures. To this end, faculty from both UTMB institutes will be engaged in a series of Community Science Workshops in southeast Louisiana, a mechanism that enables UTMB faculty and staff to interact with and respond quickly to their community partners in the face of emergency situations.
Please see the list below for supplies that are needed to help. As relief efforts move into recovery stages, UTMB will also continue to work with its non-profit partners, including LEAN. Donations also can be made directly to the Louisiana group at http://leanweb.org/ or through UTMB by contacting Michele Cravey at 409-772-3299 or at mkcravey@utmb.edu.
Sidebar: Supplies needed by Hurricane Isaac victims
The items listed below will help the victims of Hurricane Isaac recover from the storm. UTMB wishes to offer special thanks to those who have already donated to this effort, especially the CET, the ITS, the UTMB Center to Eliminate Health Disparities and Kleen Janitorial Supply.
Personal Protection Equipment
Tyvek suits and booties, gloves (nitrile and heavy-duty work gloves), high-top rubber boots, N95 masks, hats (hard hats/ baseball hats/army surplus field hats), headlamps
Cleaning Supplies
Mops, buckets, bleach, paper towels, shop towels, rubber cleaning gloves, cleaning solutions (i.e. Murphy’s Oil Soap equivalent), abrasive scrubbing pads, scrub brushes, garbage bags (heavy duty,assorted sizes)
Tools
Shovels (all types, flat-nosed, especially) pruning saws (bow saws), rakes (heavy-duty), brush hooks/machetes, rope (nylon and/or cotton/ traditional hemp), twine , chain saws, duct tape, flashlights (D cell), camping lanterns, camp stoves (single burner/Coleman fuel-white gas ) , coolers (assortment of sizes), tarps (various sizes), bungies (various sizes), matches/butane lighters, extension cords (various lengths), power strips
Fuel
Coleman fuel/white gas, Gas Jerry cans (5-1 gallon), batteries (assortment with emphasis on D cells), sterno (canned heat)
Personal items
Hand sanitizer, liquid soap, shampoo (dry wash shampoo most useful), combs and brushes, towels (cotton/chamois), sheets (cotton/synthetic), toilet paper/tissues, moisturizing cream/lotion, toothpaste/tooth brushes
Insect Repellant (DEET)
Sunscreen (SPF45 or greater)
Cases of water
Sports drinks (Gatorade equivalent)
Diapers for both children and adults
First Aid Kit Items
hand sanitizer, various types and sizes of bandage materials (i.e. gauze), arm slings, various types and sizes of adhesive bandages, elastic wraps, bandage tape, scissors, anti-bacterial cream/ointment, topical antiseptic spray or liquid, hydrogen peroxide, heat/cold patches, tongue depressors, aspirin/ibuprophen, isopropyl alcohol, water purification equipment or tablets
Food
MREs (military type ready-to-eat meals), canned goods (beans, soups, fruit), non-perishable snacks (fruit strips, granola bars, etc.), crackers, hard breads, canned nuts, dried fruit, nut butters, dehydrated camping foods (complete dinners), dehydrated potatoes, dehydrated milk, canned milk, dehydrated orange juice, cooking utensils, cutlery, ziplock bags (various sizes), aluminum foil (heavy duty), tea, coffee
ABOUT UTMB Health: Established in 1891, Texas' first academic health center comprises four health sciences schools, three institutes for advanced study, a research enterprise that includes one of only two national laboratories dedicated to the safe study of infectious threats to human health, and a health system offering a full range of primary and specialized medical services throughout Galveston County and the Texas Gulf Coast region. UTMB Health is a component of the University of Texas System and a member of the Texas Medical Center.