Hurricane Relief Resources

Dallas HR has heard from so many of our members anxious to help the Katrina victims.  There have, in fact, been so many suggestions we have had a difficult time coordinating all the ideas and selecting specific areas where we might have the most impact.

We hope this list will be helpful to you in providing alternatives  for you and your organization to make a meaningful contribution to the relief effort.

If you have any additional information you would like to include here, please send your suggestions to members@dallashr.org.

RESOURCES

Posting Jobs – www.katrinajobrelief.com

This is a FREE service to both job seekers and employers, which is supported by many associations, publishers, and chambers of commerce and allows you to post your jobs available throughout the country. 

North Texas Food Bank - http://www.ntxfoodbank.org/

Dallas Life Foundation - http://www.dallaslife.org/

Find your New Orleans Employer
www.findyourneworleansemployer.com
http://nokr.org/phpBB/search.php

U.S. Department of Labor

The U.S. Department of Labor announced today it is launching Katrina Recovery Job Connection, a web-based service to connect displaced workers and employers who want to hire them, including temporary jobs cleaning up and rebuilding in the affected areas.
See Katrina Recovery Job Connection

SHRM Resources & Bulletin Board
SHRM has established a section on their Web site (www.shrm.org)
to keep members and other interested parties up to date on their disaster-related activities. These resources are available to the general public. In addition, the Web site has extensive information and links to other organizations to assist you during the extraordinary time. To facilitate member-to-member communication and share ideas and information, a speical bulletin board has been set up. Click this link and than select "Join the discussion" http://www.shrm.org/issues/hurricane.

Financial Contributions

Dallas HR Fund Raising Efforts – Help us reach our goal of collecting $5,000 at our September meeting

See our September newsletter

American Red Cross – www.redcross.org

United Way - volunteer.united-e-way.org/hurricane-katrina/donate/

Salvation Army - http://www.salvationarmydallas.org/index.asp.

Volunteering Time

American Red Cross has an immediate need for groups of 50 Staff
Relations Associates to work in two-week cycles at their disaster
center, at this time primarily in Baton Rouge. These are VOLUNTEER
positions, which require basic employee relations skills.

See SHRM website for details - www.shrm.org/issues/hurricane/

Texas Workforce Commission – Trainers needed at Grand Prairie TWC
Volunteer Dates: September 16, October 7, and October 21
Time: 8:00 am - 12:00 pm

For more information contact Matt Clements


JobFairs

CareerConnection Fall Job Tour held on Thursday, October 20th.
Career Fair Registration Form

To post a Job Fair, please contact us.

Clothing Contributions

Attitudes & Attire, one of our Community Relations partners, has been asked to help those women who have opted to stay in the area and look for employment. Special workshops are being offered to support and encourage these women. They are also collecting casual clothing, business attire, shoes and toiletries to provide for immediate needs. See the list of requested items and delivery details at www.attitudesandattire.org.

IMPORTANT NEWS

Texas Workforce Commission

Hotline for Workers from Louisiana looking for Jobs – 1-800-818-7811

Hotline for Employers with Jobs – 1-800-695-6879

TWC Creates Worker and Employer Disaster Response Hot Lines

$75 Million Emergency Grant - Department of Labor announced a large grant to the Texas Workforce Commission, to help in creating temporary jobs and providing counseling, job training and other forms of assistance.

U.S. Department of Treasury

The U.S. Department of Treasury and the IRS announced that employees may donate cash value of their vacation, sick or personal leave to qualify tax exempt organizations via their employer, and the money will not constitute taxable wages. The funds msut be sent to a 170(c) organization, earmarked for Katrina relief, and the payments must be made before January 1, 2007, to qualify for this special treatment.
Read Press Release

IRS Announcement 2005-70 and KETRA both provide leniency in qualified plan loans and qualified plan hardship withdrawals for Katrina-related purposes.

Click here for EBSA's Fact Sheet about the HIPAA, COBRA and Claims & Appeals extensions.

U. S. Department of Homeland Security

I-9 Sanctions Suspended for 45 Days - Allows individuals displaced by Katrina to accept employment without producing documents to prove identity and eligibility to work.  Workers complete the parts of the I-9 that they can, and note on the form that documents were not available due to the effects of Katrina. At the end of 45 days, the situation will be reviewed and the grace period may be extended further.

Notice Regarding I-9 Documentation Requirements For Hiring Hurricane Victims

Social Security Administration

New Social Security Cards - 1-800-772-1213 or www.socialsecurity.gov

Dallas Office Location - On Sept. 20, the office will relocate to 10824 North Central Expressway (east side of Central Expressway between Royal Lane and Meadow Road.  Because of the move, there will be limited service at the old office at 10600 Steppington Drive from Monday, Sept. 12 to Monday, Sept. 19, and callers are being urged to direct enquiries to the Social Security national toll-free number at 1-800-772-1213.