Silver Spring, Maryland--The Adventist and Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is continuing to partner with the Adventist Community Services (ACS) to help communities in Louisiana affected by Hurricane Gustav, providing cleaning kits, blankets, clothing and personal care items for nearly 1,600 people throughout the Baton Rouge area.

Through ADRA's partnership with ACS, 1,575 people in the Louisiana towns of New Roads and Batchelor received emergency aid on September 6 and 7, including blankets, clothing packets, and personal care kits. Additionally, 100 families in Dulac, a small fishing town in Terrebonne Parish, benefited from cleaning supplies that were made available to them as part of a $100,000 donation from ADRA. Each personal care kit includes a towel, washcloth, one bar of soap, a toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, deodorant, and a comb. Clothing packets hold a pair of pants, a shirt, a pair of socks and a set of new underwear. Another distribution is scheduled for this upcoming weekend, when ACS volunteers plan to continue emergency response activities.

"The people that we helped were tremendously appreciative," said Joe Watts, disaster coordinator for ACS. "They were very thankful for what we were doing; that was expressed scores, and scores of times."

Currently, the greatest needs, added Watts, are for cleaning supplies, tarps, and diapers. Emergency activities in response to Hurricane Gustav are expected to continue for the next four weeks. As response efforts continue, more updates will be released.

Ike, the most recent hurricane to threaten the U.S., is expected to make landfall along the central Texas coast Friday night, according to the National Weather Service. Hurricane experts predict that Ike will reach at least Category 3 strength, classifying it as a major hurricane, with winds between 111 and 130 mph (179 and 209 km/hr). ADRA is prepared to provide continued assistance in the region.

Hanna, the eighth tropical storm of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season, killed more than 500 in Haiti, leaving behind a trail of destruction before plowing through the eastern coastline of the United States, and southeastern Canada before dissipating into the Atlantic. ADRA Haiti distributed hygiene and food kits to 150 families, or 900 people, in Petit-Goâve, a hard-hit coastal town in the Ouest Department located some 42 miles (68 km) south of the capital, Port-au-Prince.

To send your contribution to ADRA's Emergency Response Fund, please call 1.800.424.ADRA (2372) or give online at www.adra.org.

ADRA is a non-governmental organization present in 125 countries providing sustainable community development and disaster relief without regard to political or religious association, age, gender, or ethnicity.

Author: Nadia McGill

Media Contact: John Torres, Senior Public Relations Manager, ADRA International 12501 Old Columbia Pike Silver Spring, MD 20904 Phone: 301.680.6357 E-mail: Media.Inquiries@adra.org