Reunites Hundreds of Hurricane Katrina Victims With Their
Families
Angel Flight America (AFA), a national organization dedicated to
serving people in situations of compelling need by arranging free
air transportation through volunteer general aviation pilots,
continues to work around the clock assisting Hurricane Katrina
victims.
Angel Flight(R) is on the front line every day of the year
helping children and adults in need access life-saving medical
care. The national network also arranges flights of compassion and
disaster response. Currently, their requests have sky-rocketed --
each is an amazing story.
As one AFA leader,
Butch Smith of Plano, Tex. said, "We're flying hundreds of
missions, helping hundreds and hundreds of people covering
thousands of miles." Generous volunteer pilots are donating their
time, airplanes and fuel from all corners of the nation to assist
those affected by the devastating floods from Hurricane
Katrina.
At the request of numerous state and local agencies, shelters
run by The American Red Cross and the Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA), even though AFA receives no federal funding, AFA has
been moving high-risk people to safer locations and flying
emergency workers, agency staff, volunteers and supplies into
flood-ravaged areas. Over the past week at least 500 missions have
been flown, and, as more and more needs for Angel Flight's unique
service are identified, that number is growing at an exponential
rate.
AFA Executive Director Ken Rusnak said, "The relationships we
established in the aftermath of 9/11 with other disaster response
organizations through the creation of the Homeland Security
Emergency Air Transportation System (HSEATS) funded by the
Corporation for National and Community Service are helping us all
respond as quickly and safely as possible. Communication and
cooperation are essential tools in a situation like this."
"Reuniting families and relocating evacuees is our priority now
as response efforts shift from the initial rescue efforts," said
AFA representative Sarah Riehm of Addison, Tex. "The situation is
just overwhelming so we've had to prioritize those requests that
best fit our mission and resources."
Mission coordination
teams working 24/7 in several locations throughout the country are
focusing their professional efforts, limited funds and volunteer
pilot resources on requests to:
- Reunite families separated during the evacuation
- Relocate families out of shelters that have confirmed safe
housing elsewhere
Angel Flight staff and coordination volunteers have been on the
ground in Baton Rouge, Louisiana spreading the word through
shelters that transportation is available while teams in other
areas of the country are working with regional and local agencies
and hospitals. Children, along with other men and women dislocated
in the storm are being reunited with their parents and other family
members.
Angel Flight passengers are never charged for the flights
arranged by AFA and provided by generous volunteer pilots. AFA, the
nation's largest charitable aviation network flying approximately
17,000 missions over the last year, exists solely through donations
from individuals, companies, organizations and foundations that
cover the many expenses associated with matching passengers and
charitable aviation resources.
"We are in desperate need of donations to literally give a
'lift' to stranded Americans," said AFA Chairman Edward R. Boyer.
"We are estimating that the total cost of Angel Flight relief
missions will be at least 2 million dollars."