Donations sought for retired feds hit by Charley

The National Association of Retired Federal Employees and Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund are seeking donations for a disaster relief fund to assist retired federal employees affected by Hurricane Charley.

The NARFE/FEEA Disaster Relief Fund, created by NARFE and administered by FEEA, provides small cash assistance to help NARFE members quickly meet emergency needs following natural disasters. Many federal retirees live in the areas of Florida hit hardest by Hurricane Charley last week.

Since 1997, the fund has helped NARFE members affected by flooding, mud slides, hurricanes, fires and ice storms in California, Maine, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Vermont and Washington.

Contributions are tax-deductible. To donate, make a check payable to NARFE/FEEA Disaster Fund and mail it to NARFE/FEEA Disaster Fund, c/o FEEA, 8441 W. Bowles Ave, Suite 200, Littleton, CO 80123-9501.

To obtain an application for emergency assistance, call FEEA at 1-800-323-4140, or visit the FEEA Web site at www.feea.org.

FEEA also has a disaster assistance program for current federal employees. Civilian federal and Postal Service employees affected by Hurricane Charley may contact FEEA at 1-800-323-4140 to receive information about grants and no-interest loans to help with temporary shelter, cleanup, rebuilding and other expenses.

Welles writes about federal worklife topics. She lives in Bethesda, Md., and can be reached at judywelles@fcw.com.