Over the last month people all over the world have felt the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina. Those who were not directly touched by the hurricane have certainly heard the countless stories of displacement and loss from Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama leaving them wondering what they can do to help. We at Georgia Public Broadcasting also got together to discuss what we could do to assist our neighboring states and those who have relocated to Georgia as a result of the damage.
Since the hurricane Georgia's school system has opened its doors to over 5,600 new students with the promise of more evacuated children to enroll. For this reason GPB Education organized a building-wide school supply drive with an overwhelming response. As children displaced by the hurricane with little else but the clothes on their backs continue their education here in Georgia, we wanted to do our part to insure that they would not be left without the tools they need in the classroom. In the last month van loads of supplies have been delivered to local shelters from our building for distribution.
In addition to donating school supplies, GPB Education also organized a trip to the Red Cross to donate blood. With the drastic and sudden increase in our state's population, resources like that of local blood banks have been stretched very thin.
