National Notary Foundation Donates $100,000 for Hurricane Relief Efforts

Joint Foundation Contributions of $50,000 to Both Salvation Army and Save the Children to Assist Charities in Providing Ongoing Aid to Victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

The National Notary Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the National Notary Association, today announced a donation of $100,000 to The Salvation Army and Save the Children which will be used to provide housing, food, counseling and social services to victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Donations were raised from Notaries belonging to the 300,000-member professional association and its employees. The Foundation matched each contribution and the NNA absorbed all administrative costs associated with raising these funds, allowing 100 percent of donors' contributions to go toward the 2005 Hurricane Victims' Relief Fund.

"America's 4.5 million Notaries have once again demonstrated their high levels of generosity and compassion for those most urgently in need in our society," stated Deborah M. Thaw, Executive Director of the National Notary Foundation. "The Salvation Army and Save the Children are two of the nation's most trusted and respected charities who can effectively deliver much needed services to victims to help them continue to re-build their lives," Thaw said.

Representatives from both charities were on hand to accept the donations at ceremonies held in January at the NNA's headquarters in Los Angeles.

"On behalf of The Salvation Army, we are deeply appreciative of the generosity of both the NNA and the Notaries who made this charitable donation possible. This contribution will allow The Salvation Army to continue to meet the ongoing daily and long term needs of hurricane survivors in the south," said Major Steve Smith, Divisional Secretary for Program for The Salvation Army Southern California (www.salvationarmyusa.org.)

Save the Children used its years of experience helping children deal with crises worldwide, including last year's devastating tsunami disaster, to develop a curriculum for teachers and counselors working with students recovering from Katrina's aftermath. In addition, the organization partnered with local school districts and community groups in Louisiana and Mississippi to re-open school buildings and provide supplies for teachers and students.

"The support of the members of the NNA will enable us to help hundreds of displaced children feel safe again and get back into their normal school routine," said Diana Coleman, Global Director, Principal Partners for Save the Children (www.savethechildren.org).

The National Notary Foundation is a non-profit organization established exclusively for charitable and educational purposes under Internal Revenue Service Code 501(c)(3). The Foundation supports scholarship, education, research, personal achievement, and humanitarian and philanthropic projects.

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