Comments Elsewhere

The official word I have from the county’s long-term disaster team is that material donations have surpassed anything they could have hoped for. The scene on the ground, however, looks like first aid-type supplies are needed: band-aids, antibiotic ointments, peroxide, alcohol, cortisone cream, cling wraps, calamine lotion, ibuprofen, Tylenol, bug spray.They’re very short on leather gloves, shovels, brooms and rakes. Batteries and flash lights are needed as well. No used clothes are needed at this point in time.

Those sorts of donations can be made at the Community Action office at

Central Oklahoma Community Action 1155 E Main, CSBI Building E Norman OK 73071

For those who want to make monetary donations to local groups, I’m recommending the South Canadian Amateur Radio Society (www.w5nor.org) or the Emergency Management Association (www.oema.us). These groups work behind the scenes to make disaster communications happen in Cleveland County. Both are 501c3 organizations and provide year round effort to the our community. Please mark all donations to “Oklahoma Disaster Relief,” regardless of where you donate. This keeps your money local, where it can do the most good.

Another option just being set up is OpOK Relief (www.wepay.com/donations/opok-relief-donations). This is not a registered nonprofit, rather a consolidation of several Occupy groups, Anonymous, and other entities like Central Oklahoma Black/Red Alliance (COBRA).

Central Oklahoma Black/Red Alliance (COBRA) will be hosting a gathering of folks who are interested in the People’s response to the disaster. Folks are invited to come by my offices at Community Action (1155 E Main, Norman OK 73071) at noon today to discuss the current response from the Red Cross, organized labor, faith-based communities, and the like.

We’ll also be discussing decentralized relief and creative opportunities to help folks most affected by the storm. Not everyone is connected or comfortable working with NGOs and there are independent efforts that can make a huge difference. Look at Occupy Sandy as an example.

In the meantime, if you have any type of medical background/credentials and want to help relief efforts, get to the Warren Theater. If you don’t have medical credentials but want to help, get to the Home Depot in Moore.

they need other politics.