Lodging Industry Hurricane Relief Efforts

Host | 15 September 2005 |

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PAII and others lend a hand
Excerpted from two e-mail from PAII to its membership - please contact PAII for current information if interested (9/16/05)

Since Hurricane Katrina, we have made it a point to stay in touch with the Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama state B&B/inn associations. So far, those innkeepers needing housing have been accommodated. Those of you still holding rooms for displaced innkeepers should release them at this time. As the FEMA funds provided to evacuees begin to run out we may begin to hear from more innkeepers requiring assistance, therefore you may want to stay on-call to provide rooms on a space available basis. Over the next few weeks, we will be able to better assess the need for future accommodations during the rebuilding or relocating process that these families will face. We certainly want to encourage you to try to provide housing, either at your property or with a neighboring inn. Some innkeepers may need to get away for a few days or a week for some privacy after staying with family and friends or rejuvenation before facing the road ahead. We hope you will continue to offer your hospitality as long as you possibly can. And, don’t forget that we have established an Innkeepers Help Registry of products and services that you can donate as innkeepers start to rebuild. Affected state associations are distributing a similar form to the Innkeepers in need. This method will assist with the matching of members willing to donate with innkeepers needing donations. Please complete our online donation form at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=939411329068. The outpouring of concern and support has been wonderful — we thank you all and will continue to keep you posted. Karen Hudgeons Membership & Member Services Manager karen@paii.org ___________________________________________________________________________________________ (9/9/05) Dear Innkeepers, Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for your amazing response to our call for help for innkeepers affected by Hurricane Katrina. We have well over 200 innkeepers that have set aside one or more weeks of room nights for innkeepers in need. Our member company, American Historic Hotels has organized a donation of rooms from another 100 innkeepers bringing the total to over 300 properties whose offerings have been made available to the state associations in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. One quick note on lodging, FEMA dollars for emergency lodging run out after two weeks, so the critical time for many evacuees in terms of a place to stay could be in the weeks ahead. Also, please be patient if you have offered a room but not been connected with someone in need. We have still not made contact with three of our members in the Gulf states, and we know that the state association leaders have not yet been able to reach everyone who is displaced. Power is not yet restored everywhere, and people may not have email access or be using their inn phone numbers. I know that the state B&B association leaders are very appreciative of your generosity, and we are too. There is still more that needs to be done in the wake of this disaster, so read on to see how you can help: Amenities and Personal Care Items Needed by Louisiana Emergency Shelter Sharon Murphy with the Louisiana Bed and Breakfast Association has called to let us know that the Ascension Parish Tourist Commission currently has an evacuation shelter with 1,700 evacuees at the Lamar Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales, LA. The Red Cross personnel at the shelter have said that the need for personal care items/amenities is acute. They have approx. 1,700 evacuees using about 20 showers and just a few washing machines. Sharon has personally volunteered to get donated items to the shelter. Her contacts at the Red Cross are keeping her posted with requests for other shelters in area as well. Here are some of the items requested: Personal Care Items: shampoo, conditioner, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, brushes, combs, wash cloths, towels, robes Egg Crate Cushions - the kind you put on a mattress (for elderly people having difficulty on the cots) Items should be shipped to: Louisiana Bed & Breakfast Association Attn: Hurricane Relief 1165 South Foster Drive Baton Rouge, LA 70806 Ph: (225) 408-4026 American Historic Inns/iloveinns.com Charity Auction: American Historic Inns/iloveinns.com is organizing a room auction to benefit the inns affected by Katrina. The auction will invite all innkeepers who would like to help, to donate room nights or vacation packages to be auctioned off to the public. Details on how to donate room nights or travel packages will be announced in the next week. If you have any questions, please contact iloveinns.com at 949-497-2232. Innkeepers Help Registry: We have identified a fairly comprehensive list of things needed by innkeepers who are looking to repair, replace, or rebuild their inns in the coming months. If you have items that you can spare to help an innkeeper get back up and running, please complete our online donation form: www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=939411329068 We will distribute this information to the inn associations in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. A matching form that will be used by the innkeepers that need items is also being created and distributed to the inns in the areas affected by Katrina. That will help in the matching of donors to innkeepers. Thanks again for your amazing generosity.