HELOISE Two tips to help you weather emergencies

Dear Heloise: During the hurricanes in Florida, I was a volunteer at a shelter, and here is some information that can help anyone during any type of emergency:
UWhen filling out an emergency form that asks for two emergency contacts, please do not list people who live in the same household. If they are not home, there is no one else for us to try to contact.
UGet to know your neighbors and ask their permission to give their numbers to your grown children and vice versa. If your children cannot reach you, they will be able to talk to someone who lives close by who can give them information, or your neighbor can let them know of an emergency situation. During an emergency, or if you are going away for a few days, contact your children and let them know where you will be, so if they try to reach you and get no answer, they will not worry.
At the shelter, we received many calls from worried children. If they would have had the neighbors' phone numbers, they would have been able to get quicker information without having to call each shelter, hospital or police department in the area. Laura Butler, Florida
Dear Heloise: My daughter wanted to wear my wedding gown. It had been "heirloomed." When we broke the vacuum seal, we heard the air rush in. We discovered several brownish yellow stains. The gown was silk, and no dry cleaner would try to remove the 23-year-old stains.
My solution: I bought some lace similar to that on the gown and carefully cut and hand-appliqued it over the stains. It looked lovely. Helen Harwood, Rockville, Md.
Helen, a disaster resolved, and a happy ending. It is important to have a wedding dress professionally cleaned before storing, and be sure to point out any stains so the cleaner can pay special attention to them.
The best place to store a treasure like a wedding gown? A cool, dry, dark place like an inside closet -- not the attic or basement. Heloise
Dear Heloise: I read the discussion about using masking tape to mark freezer items. Too much work. I use a fine-point permanent marker that writes on freezer bags perfectly. Just write on the bag before you put the item inside, and let the ink dry for a few seconds. Jim Fernald, Arlington, Va.
Dear Heloise: I read the letter from a reader asking what to do with magazines that had already been read. I keep them in the trunk of my car. Whenever I have a doctor's appointment, I take them in and leave them there for others to enjoy. I also take them to the local library and donate them. Bobbie Rocha, Sacramento, Calif.
Good advice, and a recycling hint, too. A reminder: Remove your address label. Heloise
XSend a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000; fax to (210) HELOISE, or e-mail Heloise@Heloise.com.
King Features Syndicate