To the people of Illinois:

If there is ever a time for us to unite as a nation and help our fellow Americans, that time is now. Hurricane Katrina has devastated the lives of hundreds of thousands of men, women and children in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. I want to let you know about the steps Illinois has taken in the relief effort, and also let you know how you can help too.

As of today, I have authorized approximately 800 Illinois Guard Members and more than 40 vehicles from the 3637th Maintenance Company to Louisiana to help with the recovery and cleanup operations. I have also ordered the deployment of 50 medical response team members from the Illinois Emergency Response Team to set up field hospitals in Louisiana and Mississippi. In addition, we have provided supplies ranging from blankets and cots to 256,000 half pints of water, as well as experts who will help process claims ranging from unemployment benefits to food stamps. We have also opened all Illinois public schools to any child displaced by Hurricane Katrina. College students from Illinois who attend school in the Gulf Coast can now continue their studies at any of the state's community colleges and many of our four-year universities.

Yesterday, I sent an email to all state employees urging them to contribute to a collective fund that will be given directly to the American Red Cross. I am now encouraging you to get involved. To donate to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund , please call 800-HELP-NOW , or visit their secure Internet site at www.redcross.org .

If you have any friends or relatives from the hurricane-stricken areas that are arriving in Illinois, you can direct them to the Hurricane Katrina Victim Assistance Hotline at 800-843-6154 . This is a hotline for one-stop shopping of State services, including: health care, crisis counseling, temporary housing and food and clothing allotments. It will be operational between the hours of 8:30 am and 5:00 pm.

You can also donate items such as new or laundered clothing, towels and bedding (all items must be packaged), as well as non-perishable food items and school supplies by dropping them off at any of the Illinois Department of Human Services offices across the state. For further information, please visit www.illinois.gov/dropoff.cfm or call our hotline at 800-843-6154 .

If we all work together, I know we can make a real difference in helping the people of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama recover from this tragedy. Thank you for your help.

Sincerely,

Rod R. Blagojevich
Governor