FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

United Way of Rockland County
135 Main Street, 2nd Floor
M&T Bank Building
Nyack, New York 10960
Voice: 845-353-1616
Fax: 603-388-8332
Website: www.uwrc.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 10, 2005

Contact:

Jay Bursky
845-353-1616
jbursky@optonline.net

Naomi Adler
845-358-8929
n.adler@uwrc.org

Rabbi Brian Beal
845-358-2248
rabbibeal@aol.com

UNITED WAY OF ROCKLAND, TEMPLE BETH TORAH ANNOUNCE EMERGENCY DISTRIBUTION DRIVE FOR KATRINA RELIEF SURVIVORS

Donations can be dropped off with the trucks at Temple Beth Torah from 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM beginning Friday, September 16 - Sunday, September 18

Nyack, New York – Naomi L. Adler, President and CEO of United Way of Rockland County and Rabbi Brian Beal of Temple Beth Torah, today announced their organizations' joint participation in a disaster relief collection and distribution effort to help out Jacob's Ladder. Jacob's Ladder is a relief project launched by the Union for Reform Judaism dedicated to meeting the needs for food and other daily necessities that are desperately requested in the catchment area of Hurricane Katrina.

Gemini Traffic Sales, Inc. will be providing a 44 foot, 18 wheeler trailer truck coordinated through the courtesy of Star Kay White, Inc., a United Way partner company based in Congers, New York.

United Way of Rockland County will be active in coordinating the Rockland community's response with Temple Beth Torah, working with community partners to help provide front-line disaster relief to those fellow Americans who have been left with nothing. "We are launching this relief effort in conjunction with the arrival of United Way of Rockland County's annual Day of Caring, which launches on Friday, September 16. Day of Caring is the largest day of community service in the county," said Naomi Adler.

Working in partnership with the town of Utica, Mississippi, the Union for Reform Judaism and Jacobs Camp are operating a staging and distribution center for relief supplies from a warehouse provided by the city. Each region of the Union has been asked to respond by coordinating efforts to collect and transport donations. Temple Beth Torah and the United Way of Rockland County have agreed to provide a drop off center, to secure trucks and to serve as coordinators for the entire Rockland County community.

"Trucks will be parked at Temple Beth Torah and available to receive your donations from 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Friday, September 16. Donors can continue to drop off their items on Saturday, September 17 and Sunday, September 18 from 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM on both days. The trucks will stop accepting deliveries at 4:00 PM each day," Rabbi Beal said. "When the truck or trucks are completely filled, we will no longer be able to accept additional donations. Transporting the donated goods to Mississippi will begin the following week." Temple Beth Torah is located at 330 North Highland Avenue (9W) in Upper Nyack.

Although the final list of goods is still being compiled, the current list of goods that can be received includes:

linen items such as sheets (all sizes, most common need is twin sizes), towels, pillows and blankets;

food items in cases and cartons including non-perishable food items that are easy to store, distribute, and eat (granola bars, peanut butter crackers, plastic jars of peanut butter and jelly), ready made meals, dry soup (Raman noodle soup, cup-of-soup), cereal (instant oatmeal packets, large boxes of dry cereal), pasta, baby food (non-glass containers), and canned food; and

personal hygiene products (please do not send sample sizes) such as wet wipes, diapers, adult diapers (Depends), feminine hygiene products, toothbrushes and toothpaste, soap (liquid and bars), shampoo, shaving supplies (disposable razors, shaving cream), hair brushes, deodorant, tissues, and toilet paper.

CLOTHING WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED

The list above reflects the most needed items at the current time and is subject to change. For the current list of items, go to http://urj.org/relief/jacobsladder/index.cfm? and select "URJ Suggested Donation List". Please deliver only those items that appear on the list. Only new, unused items from the list above will be accepted.

If your company or organization would be willing to conduct a drive to collect items for this effort, please contact United Way of Rockland's President and coordinator of this project, Naomi Adler, immediately at 845-358-8929.

Those who wish to help load the truck or sort donations, should call 2-1-1 (United Way's Helpline) or Temple Beth Torah at 845-358-2248 and ask for Judy O'Neill, the volunteer coordinator for Temple Beth Torah.

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United Way of Rockland County, Inc. provides programs that touch more than 100,000 Rockland residents every year. In 2005, the United Way of Rockland County raised $937,000 to assist in funding 28 programs with 23 non-profit human service agencies and an additional $500,000 in gifts in kind. United Way of Rockland County's focus is to make the community a better place to live by assisting seniors, caring for children and youth, strengthening families, assisting people in crisis, increasing self-sufficiency for people with disabilities, and promoting health and healing. This was accomplished through the United Way fundraising efforts --- a campaign spearheaded by the county's top corporate, retail and agency donors and their employees.

Our mission is to effectively mobilize the caring power of our community to help people improve their lives.