Ithaca College

Although the unfolding tragedy of Hurricane Katrina is occurring far away from campus, it has nonetheless directly touched members of the Ithaca College community in many ways, particularly those who come from the Gulf Coast, or who have family members or friends there. I join with all of our students, faculty, and staff in sending out our thoughts and prayers to those individuals as well as to the many thousands in the region who are attempting to cope in the aftermath of this terrible storm.

The College will continue to reach out in as many ways as it can to provide assistance in this time of need. I encourage anyone having difficulty managing the stress of this disaster to reach out to friends, colleagues, advisers, and others who can offer support.

The professional staff of the Ithaca College Counseling Center is always available to provide help. During normal business hours, anyone can stop by the counseling center or call 274-3136 to make an appointment to see a counselor. The College chaplains are also valuable resources and can be reached at Muller Chapel at 274-3103. In an emergency situation during evenings or weekends, assistance can be obtained by calling the Hammond Health Center at 274-3177 or the Office of Public Safety at 274-3333.

The American Psychological Association (APA) is also offering free materials on managing traumatic stress in the wake of Hurricane Katrina at its website (see below). A downloadable fact sheet includes information for people both directly and indirectly affected and addresses what people may feel immediately following and long after the hurricane. It also provides strategies for people to help themselves, families, and children and for those struggling to cope from afar.

The American Psychological Association Help Center

The primary concerns for relief organizations at this time is to ensure the safety of all the people affected by the disaster, provide food and shelter, and reunite separated family members within the affected area. Due to outages in service or overloading of telephone circuits and evacuations, it may be difficult for individuals to get in touch with people in the area. Any member of the campus community with medical concerns about individuals in the affected region can contact the Tompkins County Chapter of the American Red Cross for advice and assistance at 273-1900.

Members of the College community have expressed a strong interest in assisting in relief efforts. Deb Mohlenhoff, coordinator of community service and leadership development, is working to coordinate fundraising activities and other support activities. Anyone interested in participating or who has already planned a relief event is asked to attend a meeting on Thursday, September 8, at noon in Williams 225. Those who are unable to attend the meeting but are still willing to help can contact Deb at dmohlen@ithaca.edu.

For those who would like to contribute immediately, donations can be made to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund by calling 1-800-HELP NOW or to the Salvation Army by calling 1-800-SAL ARMY. Both organizations have additional information and resources for contributing at their respective websites.

American Red Cross

The Salvation Army

This is an opportunity to act on the College’s mission statement, which calls upon us all to share the responsibilities of citizenship and service here and in the global community. I am certain that this community can and will rise to the challenge that this tragedy has presented, and I thank you in advance for responding to the call.

Peggy R. Williams, President