State Rep. Debbie Riddle Issues Statement

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State Representative

Debbie Riddle

District 150 - North Harris County

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Capitol Office:2910 - Austin, TX 78768-2910 - (512) 463-0572 - Fax: (512) 463-1908

District Office: 3648 FM 1960 W, Suite 106 - Houston, TX 77068 - (281) 537-5252 - Fax: (281) 537-8821

For Immediate Release

REPRESENTATIVE DEBBIE RIDDLE SEEKS DONATIONS

FOR HURRICANE RELIEF

HOUSTON - State Representative Debbie Riddle is asking residents of the Spring/Houston area to use her district office as a drop-off area for items such as diapers, baby wipes, baby toys, baby clothes, or any other items that could be used to care for the families who are arriving as refugees from Hurricane Katrina. Any and all donated items will be transported to the Red Cross and other relief organizations by her staff.

"Obviously, if you can get it to the Red Cross first, then get it there as quickly as possible," Riddle said. "But if it's easier to take it to my office, we'll make sure it gets there. We've all got to do whatever is possible to help out these families who have lost so much and are hurting so bad right now."

Riddle's district office is located at 3648 FM 1960 West, Suite 106, Houston TX, 77068, and the phone number is 281-537-5252. The office is not an officially designated Red Cross shelter or drop off center.

Spring Tabernacle at 3034 FM 2920 in Spring is an officially designated Red Cross shelter, and Riddle is encouraging her constituents to contact the tabernacle at 281-353-1851 for information on how they can help with the relief effort.

The Red Cross can be directly contacted at 1-800-GET-INFO, or in Houston at 713-313-5480. Donations can be made online at www.RedCross.org.

More than 20,000 refugees from Louisiana were being bussed to Houston early this afternoon with countless others expected over the following days. The death toll in New Orleans alone is expected to exceed 1,000.