FACT's board approved establishing a separate disaster fund. We are working on the wording to post to our site along with an application - but it will be basically focused on assisting those shelters and vets providing temporary housing for displaced ferrets. FACT will match every donation made by 50% out of our general fund with an immediate goal of raising $3,000 this year. If we surpass it - then I may just have to kick up the matches out of pocket! Hope to have a good start with a statewide mailing we need to do in the next week for another event. Timing is everything! Further details should be available on our website http://www.ferret-fat.org in the next 24 to 48 hours. We are also trying to place links to other organizations efforts and information under Relief Resources on the web site. It's not meant to be all inclusive - just to help steer the folks who land up at "our house." If anyone has information they want posted, please direct it to me at [log in to unmask] - will be easier than trying to glean information and requesting permission to post. Please note - I am reluctant to post phone numbers on our web site and prefer to use email addresses. Clearly, it may be tough to do that given that people do not have access to the web. But I suspect that readers will be folks looking TO help, not looking FOR help for quite some time. I've read several posts in my info gathering on the web about how people feel frustrated that they can't seem to come up with financial support but want to try to find a way to help. Please!!! Call your local ferret or animal shelter and volunteer - even if for only a few hours a week! Not just cleaning cages. (BTW - the premier FACT job is ferret playmate - can never have too many of them!) Type articles, update databases, help fold and stuff mailings. Create a donor database for a shelter. Help set up their book-keeping system. (Office stuff is deadly time-consuming!). Offer to sew items if you are crafty. Mow the lawn! Rake leaves. Once a month go over and give those cages or floors a really thorough cleaning - don't forget the windows with the ferret nose spots! Dig through those store coupons and double up on your purchases. I know I love the buy 1 get one free things. Well, maybe you don't need two packages of pork chops, or two bags of potatoes - but call and ask - maybe the shelter operator can use the spare! Because as we who shelter know --- even if you are a fairly large, robust organization - there are ALWAYS out of pocket expenses you can't "charge" to the shelter and you are never reimbursed for. (Think about those of you who work unpaid overtime! For a shelter operator it's a given!! LOL). Perhaps you can offer to help as a resource for new ferret owners. If ferrets start coming out of the south, and shelters become busy - then some things will have to drop. And a ferret is a ferret is a ferret when it needs rescuing. Do you have "free" long distance toll calling with your cell phone? Offer to return calls. Offer to make donation solicitation calls. You may be able to get the local pet shop to donate a few of those shop worn toys or a gift certificate for a raffle (PLEASE check your state laws on that first!). You may ask how that can help ferrets or animals in the Gulf states? It can in untold ways. You will free up a knowledgeable shelter operator's time which is so very precious. They can put that time to use in coordinating with other shelters to provide more direct aid to the Gulf area. You may help free up some of THEIR dollars to donate. You may keep them operating just one more week or month. Ok - don't have a shelter locally - some of this (well, not the lawn mowing!) can be done anywhere in the country for any shelter in the country. So never despair on ways to help! There are lots of ways that don't require $$$. K - off my shelter soapbox :) Happy Labor Day all - and hopefully I didn't exceed the line limit this evening, Bill! :) Ann Gruden President, Webmaster, Gadfly - Ferret Association of CT, Inc. FACT http://www.ferret-fact.org [Posted in FML issue 4990]