Earthquake: The Long Road Back : How To Get Help : A Guide To Coping With The Quake - Los Angeles Times
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Earthquake: The Long Road Back : How To Get Help : A Guide To Coping With The Quake

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Compiled by Times researchers David Brady, Cecilia Rasmussen, Stephanie Stassel, Tracy Thomas and Nona Yates

Directory

* Disaster Hot Line

(800) 525-0321

This number has been set up by the Federal Emergency Management Agency for general information and for telling people where to call for loans, taxes, federal and state disaster assistance and Red Cross shelters, as well as for crisis counseling.

* Los Angeles Housing Department

(213) 847-RENT and (800) 994-4444

For assistance on relocations and repairs.

* Structure inspections

All these numbers are in the (213) area code: 237-0920, 237-0921 and 237-1487 and 485-1936, 485-1937, 485-1938, 485-7091, 485-7092 and 485-7093.

* Street lights

If street lights are still out in your area or if lights are damaged, call the Los Angeles Bureau of Street Lighting at (800) 303-5267.

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* City volunteer line

(213) 847-3125.

For those who wish to volunteer their services and people who need the assistance of volunteers. Those wishing to offer their services and goods may also call (213) 847-3125. Bottled water and blankets are particularly requested.

Shelters Red Cross shelters can provide food, blankets, some medical care and cots for an overnight stay. The Salvation Army shelters also provide food and a place to stay.

* Red Cross hot line: 213-739-4543

For getting or offering assistance.

* Red Cross emergency centers:

* Canyon High School, 19300 W. Nadal St., Santa Clarita

* Fairfax High School, 7850 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles

* Glendale Armory, 100 Colorado Ave., Glendale

* Granada Hills High School, 10535 Zelzah Ave., Los Angeles

* Hart High School, 24825 N. Newhall Ave., Santa Clarita

* Hollywood High School, 1521 N. Highland Ave., Los Angeles

* Jackie Robinson Center, 1020 N. Fair Oaks, Pasadena

* Los Angeles Community College, 855 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles

* Manual Arts High School, 4131 S. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles

* Mason Recreation Center, 10400 Mason Ave., Chatsworth

* McCambridge Recreation Center, 1500 Glenoaks Blvd., Burbank

* Royal High School, 1402 Royal Ave., Simi Valley

* San Cayetano Middle School, 514 Mountain View Ave., Fillmore

* San Fernando High School, 11113 O’Melveny Ave., San Fernando

* San Fernando Recreation Center, 208 Park Ave., San Fernando

* Santa Monica Community College, 17th and Pearl streets, Santa Monica

* Saugus High School, 21900 W. Centurion Way, Saugus

* Shepherd of the Hills, 2700 Renault St., San Fernando

* Sylmar High School, 13050 Borden Ave., Sylmar

* Van Nuys High School, 6525 Cedros Ave., Van Nuys

* Wilson Junior High School, 1220 Monterey Road, Glendale

* Salvation Army shelter locations:

* San Fernando Valley Corps, 14917 Victory Blvd., Van Nuys.

* L.A. Salvation Army Central, 860 W. 9th St., Los Angeles. Spanish is available at this location.

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* Young Israel of Beverly Hills synagogue

8701 Pico Blvd., east of Robertson Boulevard. Call 310-275-3020.

Schools * Los Angeles Unified School District

All schools will be closed today.

Public information lines:

(213) 625-4000 (English)

(213) 625-4643 (Spanish)

* Acton-Agua Dulce School District

Closed today.

* Castaic Union School District

Schools will be closed to students today and Thursday. Staff requested to return to work on Thursday.

* Culver City School District

All campuses will be open today.

* Beverly Hills Unified School District

All campuses will be open today.

* William S. Hart Union High School District

All schools closed today.

* Simi Valley Unified School District

All schools closed today.

* Fillmore Unified School District

All schools closed today.

* Las Virgenes Unified School District

Schools will be open.

* Los Angeles Archdiocese

Decisions to close will be made on a school-by-school basis.

* Adat Ari El

This private school in North Hollywood will be closed today and Thursday. For information call 818-766-4992.

* Loyola High School

Open today.

* Meadow Oaks School

This private school in Calabasas will be closed today.

* Newhall School District

All schools closed today.

* Pilgrim School

This private school at 540 S. Commonwealth will be closed today.

* Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District

SAnta Monica High School, Lincoln Middle School and Roosevelt Elementary School will be closed today.

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* Seeds University Elementary School

This school on the UCLA campus will be open today.

* Sulphur Springs School District

All schools closed today.

* Temple Israel of Hollywood

This private school will be closed.

COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

* California State University, Northridge

Closed at least through Thursday.

* California State University, Los Angeles

No classes today, but some staff will be on campus. Call (213) 343-3000.

* Los Angeles Community College District

Mission and Pierce Community Colleges will be closed the rest of the week. The other seven campuses will begin spring classes today as scheduled. District office will reopen today.

* UCLA

Some classes will be in session. Call (310) 206-7994 for information on specific schools

* USC

Classes will be in session.

Utilities & Other Services * Southern California Gas Co.

To report request service restoration and to report suspected leaks, call the local gas company office found on your gas bill, or in the white pages of the your telephone directory. These walk-in emergency service centers are open to help people without telephone service:

* San Fernando Recreation Center, 208 Park Avenue, San Fernando.

* Santa Clarita City Hall, 23920 Valencia Blvd., Santa Clarita.

* GTE

Customers affected by the quake are may call the following numbers for service information:

* (800) 483-4000 (residential customers)

* (800) 483-5000 (business customers)

* (800) 483-7744 (Spanish)

For people displaced from their homes, GTE has established a “phone bank†at the San Fernando Recreation Park, 208 Park Ave., where people can go to make calls. Call (818) 898-1290.

In addition, GTE is offering a variety of free services to quake victims, including remote call forwarding, voice mail and transfer of service to a new location.

* Pacific Bell

Free voice mail and call forwarding is available for customers displaced from their homes and customers who have lost service at their homes or businesses.

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To order voice mail, call:

* (800) 273-7000, ext. 345 (residential customers)

* (800) 540-8020 (business customers)

To order call forwarding, call:

* (800) 371-2355

Customers are asked to avoid placing 411 directory assistance calls to decrease the volume of telephone traffic.

* Southern California Edison Co.

Customers whose homes were destroyed will not be billed for electricity used between their last bill and the quake and are asked to call (800) 643-0517 with service questions.

Customers facing less severe hardships can take advantage of several special payment arrangements and are asked to contact Edison at the phone number listed in the right-hand corner of their bill or the regional number.

* Department of Water and Power

* (800) DIAL DWP (or 342-5397) to report downed power lines or if you neighbors have power and you still do not.

Pets * L.A. Department of Animal Regulation

East Valley Animal Care and Control

13131 Sherman Way

North Hollywood

(818) 764-7061

* West Valley Animal Care and Control

20655 Plummer St.

Chatsworth

(818) 882-8800

In the Santa Clarita Valley:

* L.A. County Animal Care and Control Center

31044 Charlie Canyon Road

Castaic

(805) 257-3100

In western L.A. County and Thousand Oaks:

* L.A. County Animal Care and Control

Agoura Animal Shelter

29525 Agoura Road, Agoura Hills

(818) 991-0071

Donations * Blood donations:

Donating blood takes about an hour. Persons wishing to donate should be at least 18 years old, weigh more than 110 pounds and be in good health. For blood donation sites, call 974-2113.

* Red Cross

The American Red Cross is accepting monetary donations only. Make check out to “Red Cross Disaster Relief Fundâ€

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* Los Angeles Chapter

American Red Cross

2700 Wilshire Blvd.

Los Angeles 90057

* Salvation Army

Mail monetary donations to:

* Los Angeles Salvation Army Central,

900 W. 9th St.

Los Angeles, CA 90015

* Catholic Charities

Earthquake Disaster Fund

1400 W. 9th St.

Los Angeles 90015

(213) 251-3400

* Operation USA

Accepting money for long-term assistance to community organizations damaged in the earthquake and soliciting corporate gifts in bulk:

* 8320 Melrose Ave., Suite 200

Los Angeles 90069

(800) 678-7255

* World Vision

Accepting donations for neighborhood cleanup and recovery programs.

World Vision Earthquake Relief Fund

P.O. Box 1131

Pasadena, CA 91311

Counseling Among the groups providing counseling or referrals to counseling for earthquake victims:

* University of Southern California

The human relations center at USC is offering free and low-cost counseling for individuals and families traumatized by the earthquake. Information: (213) 740-1600.

* Los Angeles County Department of Mental Heath

(800) 854-7771 has been set up as a toll-free information and referral hot line for people who have been emotionally affected by the earthquake. In addition, county centers are offering free counseling to victims.

* WEST Valley Mental Health Center

8101 Sepulveda Blvd.

Van Nuys

8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays

* Santa Monica West Mental Health Center

1525 Euclid St.

Santa Monica

8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays

(310) 458-2400

* Las Encinas Hospital

Pasadena

(800) 443-5744 is a counseling line for earthquake victims only, staffed 24 hours a day.

* Antioch Counseling Center

13274 Fiji Way, fourth floor

Marina del Rey

* Catholic Charities

(213) 251-3400

For professional psychological counseling and referrals to counseling in your area; 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays.

* Jewish Family Service of Greater Los Angeles

Providing crisis counseling or referrals on a non-sectarian basis.

(213) 852-7723

* Pine Grove Hospital and Mental Health Center

7011 Shoup Ave. Canoga Park

Offering food, shelter and free initial counseling.

Insurance Many insurers and insurance industry groups have set up special telephone numbers for policyholders affected by Monday’s quake.

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* Aetna: (800) 238-6225

* Allstate: (800) 755-4126

Allstate is opening mobile catastrophe centers to serve quake victims. The centers are at 21040 Califa St. in Woodland Hills and 16800 Devonshire St. in Granada Hills.

* Automobile Club of Southern California: (800) 672-5246

* Chubb Group of Insurance Cos.: (800) 562-4822

* Cigna Property & Casualty: (800) 421-2471

* Crusader Insurance Co.: (800) 669-9800

* Farmers Group of Insurance Companies: (818) 683-5770.

* Firemen’s Fund: (800) 548-HELP

* Home Insurance Group: (800) 366-6653

* ITT Hartford Insurance Group: (800) 243-5860

* Kemper National Insurance: (800) 833-0355

* Liberty Mutual Insurance Co.: (800) 500-7881, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and (800) 526-1547 after 4:30 weekdays and weekends.

* State Farm Insurance: (800) SF-CLAIM

* Safeco Insurance Co. of America: (800) 452-7117

* T.I.G. (formerly Transamerica Insurance Group): (800) 241-2541

* 20th Century Insurance: (800) 443-3100

* USAA: (800) 531-8222

Courts Jurors should call (213) 974-9223 or individual courts for more information. These court facilities in the Los Angeles Superior Court will be closed today:

* Criminal Courts Building

* Eastlake Juvenile

* North Valley San Fernando

* Sylmar Juvenile Court

* Northwest Van Nuys

* West Santa Monica

* Beverly Hills (one court room)

Other municipal courts in Los Angeles County closed today are the Beverly Hills, Newhall and Santa Monica courts.

Los Angeles Superior Court employees in Van Nuys, San Fernando, Sylmar and West District Santa Monica must contact their supervisors for assignments today. At the San Fernando and Metropolitan branches of the Los Angeles Municipal Court, employees should contact their supervisors. All other employees should report.

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