Hurricane Refugee Help
 

As most of you know - over 50,000 of the hurricane victims are in Houston. They are slowly dispersing these folks to other cities because one can not handle all of them. My city is getting over 5000 either tomorrow or the next day.

If any of you would like to send items that these folks might need - like clothing, shoes, medical supplies, etc. - and you'd like to make sure it gets handed directly to people who need it - please email me. You can send it directly to my house if you like since my family and I will be going down to the colliseum to help out. Most of these folks have nothing but the clothes on their backs. If anyone is interested I'll get a better idea of what they might need later on.

I heard today of a fellow in Houston who spent $25,000 of his own money in pizzas to send over to the Astrodome yesterday.

Hurricane Refugee Help
 

Kim,

This is a generous act on your part, and coincidently I was telling my friend yesterday that I wish we could send clothes to the folks in this devastation. We are moving, and have many clothes that we were going to give away up here. We will send them to you, and know that the people will actually receive them. Move on my move after Sept 9th.

So send me the address and we'll get the packages sent out on Tues.

Thank you Kim for your generosity, and kindness.

Magdalena

I've had a bunch of emails - so let me answer here -

Edit - email me personally for the address - a surrogate Mom wants me to take mine off here. :)

if your boxes arent too big, Fed Ex ground is cheaper than USPO

I dont have any more info on what is needed - but I still think clothes and shoes are vital.

I did just hear that New Orleans emptied an orphanage right before the hurricane - we have 45 orphans at a Childrens Home here. Aged 1-17. The newspaper was saying how these poor kids had to leav e all their belongings and how important that is to children with no families. So - think about that as well. Does your child have any video systems they dont use anymore? I wouldnt suggest stuffed animals - because they usually have too many of those.

Thank you

baby clothing
diapers
baby meds - like tylenol/advil
hygeine products - soap, shampoo, deodorant
sunscreen
shoes -sandels
small appliances
canned goods
flashlights
pillows

Hurricane Help
 

Kim,

Post office closed tomorrow, will send off packages on tues. These are the times that help me understand how much I really have, and to be grateful not just for the material things, but for my family, friends, well community...Thank you Kim.

Magdalena

We already have 700-1000 folks at our colliseum so far. I was down there today and what is needed badly is shoes of every size (preferable sneakers, not dress shoes) and they desperately need duffel bags or suitcases to keep their few belongings in - especially the elderly and mothers who are already carrying babies.

These folks are amazing. Smiling and grateful for the help. Many that I talked to are planning on stayine here and settling since they have nothing to go back to. The only ones I saw that are visably still in shock are the kids aged 7-12 or so. The adults are adapting and taking care of their children. There are many volunteers walking around with tshirts that say: PSYCHIATRIC COUNSELOR. I watched a couple try to talk to some younger folks, but they didnt want to talk. I can only imagine reading their shirts might be a little intimidating.

I got to help out by babysitting so several mothers could go eat and pick out some clothes from the donation area. Now - that was great fun. I also helped one 84-year-old spry woman who was evacuated by the National Guard from her Senior Citizen Home. The shoes she had were several sizes to large. It was a long walk to the clothing donation area, but Vida refused a wheelchair. She is funny as anything. Out of all the shoes there - there was only one pair of sneakers that fit her, but she was so relieved when we got them on her. She also got to pick out some clothes. She didnt care for the sequined dresses I kept trying to get her to take, but she says she may come back for the package of thongs tomorrow. :D

Vida is missing her daughter and grandaughter who were also in New Orleans. She doesnt know still if they got out or if they survived. They have banks of phones set up where they can call family - and all the agencies that are starting to record who is where. After serving breakfast in the morning I promised her I'd get her and we'd see if we could locate her daughter.

Tomorrow will be another day, and the colliseum will fill up - but they are promising no overcrowding since there are churches and other places to house folks. So far - it is all running very smoothly with as many volunteers as there are victims.

A couple of the mothers I spoke to were telling me their stories. Nothing as bad as the worse stuff we are seeing on the TV reports - but a lot of carrying their children through high flood waters and such.
Their upbeat attitudes after the week they have had - is just amazing.

Kim,

It is so wonderful what you are doing - and the link we have now that you are keeping us posted. You will be so rewarded from doing this - and you already are - you met Vida. I was a new Red Cross caseworker during Hurricane Floyd - which hit my neighborhood (eastern NC) a few years ago. For weeks we were unable to go to work, have electricity, etc. and people were airlifted in helicopters all around us from their flooded homes. I heard heart wrenching stories of survival as a caseworker. Anything you can do to directly comfort these people will never be forgotten by them. You are fortunate to be able to help.


Our area will definitely be sending aide - probably a lot. Everyone here knows how much it means. Thank you for posting and offering direct help and even though I will work through people here to send things and the Red Cross for money donations - we just might send a box of stuff your way - teen stuff abounds at my house!!

Again - thank you for keeping us posted. I will be checking back soon.

Denise

Kim, thank you for all you're doing.

That's sweet and all, but it's not much - believe me. Im just one of thousands doing a tiny tiny bit. And, the tiny bit I do to help doesnt compare to how rewarding it is personally.

I just though these forums would be a good way to get the word out to people of what the real actual needs are (at least for our one group of evacutees) - and a more expediant way to get items into their hands directly. In Houston they wont let people drop off items at the Astrodome....they have to get to a Red Cross and donate - then the RC sorts and sends out.....and its just a lot of red tape. Here, I can walk right up to the donation area(the victims are calling it the Shopping area) and hand the stuff over, put it in the right piles immediatly....and the folks come right out and look for what they need.

Astrodome
 

Kim, what a fantastic idea. It just didn't occur to me that people would want to get their stuff to Houston, or anywhere else in Texas where the refugees are. How generous of people to go through the trouble and expense to ship their stuff to the refugees. And how great of you to take that on.

I just wanted to let people know though, that you can drop stuff off at the Astrodome directly, I did it on Thursday. There are drop off points in the parking lot, off the west bound feeder. There were conflicting reports, first they said don't drop off, then do, so I just went down there. I just didn't want anyone in the Houston area to be discouraged from dropping off directly if that's what they want to do. There's also a place across the highway from the Astrodome that was taking donations, in the parking lot.

It has been heartwarming to see the outpouring of donations and effort for the refugees here in Houston, as I know is happening in many other towns in the region. My son's cub scout troop collected clothing, etc. over the weekend. My daughters youth group collected and sorted clothing, toys, etc. over the weekend. Both their lower school and upper school had drives last week and will continue to collect donations. Our garbage collectors are going to pick up donations with their regular trash pick up this week - for those who can't get their items to a church or Salvation Army location. Our church is collecting items to take. My neighbor just stopped by (she locked herself out and needed her house key!) and the back of her car was full of things to take tomorrow to donate. A friend of mine spotted a displaced family in the cafe area in a neighborhood grocery store and started a conversation with them, she ended up letting them borrow an extra car that her family wasn't using for as long as they need it.

I guess this is all to say that although there may be some reports on the news about disorganization at the Astrodome and Reliant Center, and the Convention Center, if what I have seen in the last week is any indication, rest assured that the people in the Astrodome are getting large quantities of donations. What they don't have are the medical personnel. They need our continued support and our prayers.

Joan

Joan, Im so glad to hear that folks can still drop off right by the Astrodome - that is great!

Im going to stop posting my updates here - as I am taking up space on what is an art forum, (Cynthia - thank you for letting me post these here) but I wanted to let you all know I have a page on my website with information and photos of victims looking for their families. (at least a few in the rows that I have kind of personally been helping).

Oh! Plus - in case anyone is wondering....I found Vida's family today using the internet and some phone calls. They cried and carried on - so relieved. Then I raced down to the Colliseum to get the numbers and info. to Vida. She cried, carried on....and gave me a crook in my neck from all that hugging. :cool: She did not know if any of them were alive or not and the relief was awesome. I have to say - that is most rewarding thing I can ever remember doing. I also found a husband, a daughter and several cousins for some other folks in my little adopted area. Tomorrow I am going to bring my laptop down and see if the wireless city internet service works there and see who else I can help. Im not sure why there arent computers there - I guess the city just doesnt have them.

This is Vada everyone. I've been spelling her name wrong. :o

God bless her and God bless you, Kim, too!!

I had to post one more update...

today the folks over at the Nell arte forum got online and searched while I typed in names of missing folks while the survivors were right in front of me. I think we located 30 families or so. Unfortunatly we crashed the site, but it should be back up soon. It was a good day.

Kim, you are doing a terrific job down there! :) This is wonderful to hear.( I will email you.)

Phoenix is turning volunteers away from our refugee site and has set up dropoff centers. Access to computers would be a great thing for displaced people to have.

Linda,

Let me tell you a secret -

they were telling volunteeers not to go down to ours as well - but see - I grabbed a tag and pretended like I knew what I was doing and just marched in. :sunnysmil A lot of these folks wont ASK, but if you ask them what they need - they will tell you. Thats how I realized that so many still didnt know where family was. There is no organized thing of folks with computers, but I havent been the only one so far - just brilliant people who thought of it and just go down I guess. They did nab me today for having a Red Cross sticker on and made me take it off. What? am I making the Red Cross look bad or something? ;)

Edit - I should say - Ive been there since saturday and I wasnt trying to buck authority (well, maybe a little) see - the situation is this - plenty of volunteers to serve, do medical stuff, organize the donations, etc. But hardly ANY were interacting with the survivors one on one. The survivors are still in the dark and are not getting direction. They have out-going phones to use - but there is not one data base to call or search for loved ones - there are hundreds! So, its very confusing and there are many sitting in their cots needing things, but not knowing who to ask.

I have to say - they are moving though - many were taken out today to look at apartments and such - so they are getting placed. It's just the one-on-one that seems to be missing. Especially for the ones who are illiterate. I had many today who didnt know the spelling of their own relatives names and we had to guess. We found a lot of them though.

Kim,
What are your thoughts on art supplies?
I've heard alot of mention about art therapy over the years, and I am wondering if it might be helpful if art supplies were given to them, particularly the 7 to 12 year olds that you mentioned. Perhaps some of them would like to draw and it would help their emotional well being. If you would be able to pass art supplies on, I would be happy to send some. Perhaps sketch books and colored pencils. I know some people wouldn't think art supplies very practical, but for what these people have been through I think it could help the sanity of some of them.
Let me know what you think about this, since you have been interacting with them.
Mary

Mary,

I have seen a lot of kids coloring in coloring books, even the older ones - but there seems to be plenty of those in supply where I am anyway.

I dont know - you may be right, but they are still focused on survival at this point - and finding loved ones. They are actually moving them out to more permanent housing rather quickly as well. That is the thing that impresses me the most. So many folks already are in apartments.

If you wanted to donate some, I'd say 'go for it'. Perhaps though - you could send it directly to a childrens home? I can get you the address of one here in CC that took in 45 orphans from New Orleans.

Hurricane help
 

Kim,

What a compassionate person you are, forgive me for perhaps crossing a boundary here, but I had to say it. How concrete your assistance too, in finding this lady's and many others' families.

Boxes are on their way, and here in Portland, OR we are welcoming approx 1000 survivors. The art materials idea is a good one, since the organizing is just beginning here, that's one thing I can facilitate.

Kim, what you said about the person-to-person contact moved me, because when all is said and done, all we really have is each other's touch. Even if that "touching" is an, "I see you, and you matter." I know I'm getting "mushy" now so I'll end.

Fondly, Magdalena

Thank you, very sweet, you big pile of mush you. ;) And thank you for the donations!

Let me just take a second to mention the folks on another forum that have been working round the clock it seems to find these families (some of you will recognize the names). There are others as well, but they go by nicknames. These are the ones locating most of this information, Ive just been typing it in. And Im the lucky one since I get to meet the survivors and give them the news! I think we must be close to 50 families/individuals weve located so far.

Lori Agostino, Cindy Procious, Doris Bedell, Jeffrey Gold, Denise Hall, Lori Keirgaard, Tricia Migdoll, Terri Ficenec

Astrodome update
 

Hello everyone,

I was just reading the lastest posts and I thought I would give an update on the Astrodome situation here in Houston. My husband went down today to help out, he works for Shell and Shell had a sign up for their employees to go down to the Astrodome to work 6 hour shifts.

Seems the population of the Astrodome has gone down considerably as the refugees are finding housing. Yesterday the population was down to 8,000 from almost 15,000 last week.

And today I went to our church and there were signs up saying no more donations of items were needed. Of course, food and money are still needed, but what good news that many of the clothing, toys, shoes, and toiletry needs have been met, at least here in Houston. I did have one friend tell me that they saw mountains of boxes and bags of itmes down at the Astrodome last week, so I suppose the problem could be shortage of volunteers to sort that stuff. (But, and I'm just thinking aloud here, why not have some of the refugees help sort things if that's the problem.) Anyway, the sign did say they didn't need any more donations.

I'm always looking for any bit of hopeful news among this huge disaster so I thought I would pass this tiny little bit on, that at least the refugees have clothes, etc. It's a small start for these people who have such huge challenges ahead of them as they try to get their lives back.

Joan

Kim,
That is good that you are seeing them coloring - it is a good outlet for them, as you already know being an artist.
As it turns out, I've learned that there are people coming into to the D.C. and Virginia area also. I will find out what needs there are with the people in this area.
My mind is bogled with this whole thing - it seems incomprehensible that an entire major U.S. city has been evacuated. Since people are being sent all over the country, I think it is so wonderful what you and others are doing to help families reconnect!!
Mary

Magdelena, I wanted to post a thank you for your donations. I just returned from our evacuation, so I havent distributed, or even opened the box yet, but it was here waiting for me. Im not sure of the status of the refugees from Katrina at this point - they were moved out when Rita was on it's way, but I imagine they are back by now. I will distribute your donations asap.

And a big thank you to Cindy Precious and Max Howard for some HUGE boxes of donations. Those did get distributed before I left. As a matter of fact....was that gum in one box Cindy? Im only asking because they were in my van overnight...and now I have ants in my van! :oops: