CityTeam Disaster Response Urgently Helping after Hurricane Gustav in the Gulf Coast

CityTeam Disaster Response Urgently Helping after Hurricane Gustav in the Gulf
Coast

An Emotional Third Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina

GULF COAST, Miss., Sept. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- CityTeam Disaster
Response Team has been on the ground in the Mississippi Gulf Coast for three
years rebuilding communities and homes after Hurricane Katrina and now our
dedicated volunteers are starting again after Hurricane Gustav.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060824/SFTH021LOGO )

Most families were trying to place Hurricane Katrina behind them as they
finished rebuilding their homes. But on the weekend of the third anniversary,
Hurricane Gustav came storming across the gulf coast and created a
considerable amount of damage. It has been a very emotional situation for many
families and the elderly. Just in Hancock County, over 2,300 families are
still living in FEMA trailers or temporary housing. Plus, Hurricane Gustav
happened at the end of the month and people so desperately needed their
financial aid or social security checks to purchase food and gas.

"It has been an emotional third anniversary for those struggling to rebuild
their lives and homes after Hurricane Katrina. CityTeam has been helping for
three years and we personally know the people of these communities. Our
volunteers and staff are like family now and we will be there to help them
rebuild once again after Hurricane Gustav," said Richard Williams, VP of
Disaster Response, CityTeam Ministries.

CityTeam Ministries is a small non-profit organization helping the homeless in
multiple locations across the United States (http://www.cityteam.org). It has
been the little agency that didn't give up in helping disaster victims. This
year, the National VOAD (National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster)
association honored CityTeam with a national membership because of their
expertise in multiple phase disaster recovery. The agency has helped rebuild
over 200 homes and help thousands of people with their personal needs.
CityTeam is unique in its long-term approach to disasters and few agencies
have stayed for three years after Hurricane Katrina. Large disasters do take
years to rebuild communities. This time, after Hurricane Gustav, the
communities of Hancock County & Gulf Coast already know they can count on the
staff and volunteers of CityTeam to be by their side.

During Gustav, the team packed up the CityTeam camp, storing everything at the
donated roller-skate building nearby and evacuating all the volunteers. Now
the team is preparing to rush right back in to help. The camp will immediately
start housing volunteer groups, cooking meals, supplying water and providing
other emergency essentials. Volunteer teams will be assigned to help
individual families and the elderly in their homes to recover belongings and
start rebuilding.

We need everyone's help to respond to these families and the elderly of the
Gulf Coast. CityTeam is in need of financial funds to respond quickly and help
these families that didn't have anything left after Katrina and now have been
hit once again. We anticipate there are more hurricanes to come. People that
want to help can visit the CityTeam website and donate on-line today at
http://www.cityteam.org.

CityTeam is partnering with HANDS of Mississippi that has a large warehouse in
Jackson, MS that can store all the "gifts-in-kinds" that are donated to help
families rebuild such as flooring, carpet, dry wall, wood, etc. If you are a
corporation that can donate these items as quickly as possible, contact Donna
Tente at dtente@cityteam.org or 508-353-1073.

We are also in desperate need of more volunteers that can travel to Bay St.
Louis to help with the rebuilding. We are in need of all types of volunteers
who can care for the people and help rebuild homes. The quicker we can help
them the quicker we can try to save what they have left. If you would like to
volunteer, please contact Tanya Liston at tliston@cityteam.org or
408-232-5775.

Thank you to everyone that can help today by donating or volunteering. We need
you!

CityTeam has over 50 years of experience with providing shelters, food
preparation, distribution, case management, grief counseling, drug and alcohol
recovery, medical services, education and other essential care that will help
in this devastating relief effort. CityTeam Ministries has locations in San
Jose, East Palo Alto, San Francisco, Oakland, Portland, Seattle, and
Philadelphia. CityTeam has disaster response teams currently in Bay St. Louis,
Mississippi and Cedar Rapids Iowa.

CityTeam (Corporate Headquarters) 2304 Zanker Road, San Jose, CA 95131 -
http://www.cityteam.org
Carol Patterson - cpatterson@cityteam.org - 408-316-6892
Richard Williams - rwilliams@cityteam.org - 302-562-5551

SOURCE CityTeam Ministries

Carol Patterson, +1-408-316-6892, cpatterson@cityteam.org or Richard Williams,
+1-302-562-5551, rwilliams@cityteam.org, both of CityTeam Ministries