Katrina: Giving from Pittsburgh

Many of you have likely already made donations for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. You may have also heard that the City of Pittsburgh has also offered to step up:

Pittsburgh is ready to embrace refugees from New Orleans and other areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina, with hundreds of hospital beds and housing units available to those willing to make the thousand-mile journey from the Gulf Coast to the Northeast.

Pittsburgh Mayor Tom Murphy said yesterday he was uncertain how many -- if any -- would take the city up on its offer, which will be conveyed through New Orleans and Louisiana public officials, with whom Pittsburgh has been in contact.

If you're looking to make you donation more local in nature (or looking to donate more), there will be a benefit concert on the South Side on Tuesday:

Via Pittsburgh Webloggers:

Hurricane Katrina Relief Benefit - Tuesday, September 6th

Where: Z-Lounge, Carson St. in the Southside
Time: 10 pm to 2am

DJs Tom Brown, Billy Wegs, Jeff Patrick, with Jason May on the saxophone.

$5 at door

Additional donations welcome. Additionally, 10% of all bar sales from this night will be donated.

Also the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has a good list of local groups or local branches of national groups taking donations:

- American Red Cross - Southwestern Pennsylvania chapter. Send checks to Disaster Relief Fund at P.O. Box 371997, Pittsburgh 15251

- Salvation Army (Western PA Division) for Hurricane Katrina, 424 Third Ave., Pittsburgh 15219, or call 1-800-SAL-ARMY, www.salvationarmy-wpa.org.

- Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank., 1 Linden St., Duquesne, PA 15110, or donate online at www.pittsburghfoodbank.org.

- The Brother's Brother Foundation, Call 412-321-3160 or donate online at www.brothersbrother.org.

- The Rotary Clubs of Western Pennsylvania. Rotary District Office, Omni William Penn Hotel, Suite 328, 555 Grant St., Pittsburgh 15219.

- Pittsburgh Habitat for Humanity, 1 Library Place, Suite 107, Duquesne, PA. 15110 or call 412-466-6712, www.pittsburghhabitat.org.

- YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh, make checks to "Gulf Coast Relief" and send to 330 Blvd. of the Allies, Pittsburgh 15222.

- Pittsburgh Presbytery, P.O. Box 643700, Pittsburgh 15264-3700.

- United Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief, 234 McKee Place, Pittsburgh PA 15213, 412-681-8000, www.ujf.net.

- Donations for hurricane relief also will be collected over the weekend at the Coors Light Second Annual Kickoff and Rib Fest at Heinz Field, noon through midnight today and noon to 7 Monday.