In the days after Katrina, we all heard the troubling stories about missing children-the thousands of kids separated from family in the rush to safety. Today three quarters of the 4,828 children reported missing or displaced have been found, but more than a thousand remain unaccounted for, despite dozens of Web sites posting their pictures and several hotlines taking calls to help. The good news? Ernie Allen, president of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, says most aren’t actually missing but are with a relative who hasn’t been able to convey that information to those searching for them. If you or someone you know is looking for a missing child, contact these hotlines: (888) 544-5475 or (877) LOVED-1S.
An easy way to help Katrina evacuees at work Through the IRS’s Hurricane Katrina relief leave-donation program, your employer can donate the cash value of your unused sick time, personal leave and vacation days to aid organizations working with victims of the storm. See irs.gov for more information.