My sister in law Hope lives in Austin TX where some of the now homeless NOLA folks are arriving. She and her friend Eileen have been helping out at the evacuee center. This is part of Eileen's account of their past few days:
Hope and I have spent most of the last two days down at the Austin Convention Center helping out at one of the public computer banks and my hubby Sam joined us today. I feel like I've been there for weeks and wish that I could stay for as long as the evacuees are there. There have been so many emotions whirling through me since yesterday morning:
ANGER AT WHATS HAPPENING TO THESE LOVELY PEOPLE:These people are the statistics we've heard about: the 37% of the NO population that is living below the poverty line. These are people who had next to nothing, and the "next to" was washed away. Most of the evacuees at the Austin Convention Center are a prime example of who is being left behind as a result of the digital divide and they are the losing side of the widening gap between the lower and evershrinking middle classes. They are people in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and older who have never used a computer, never heard of an e-mail address and approach a computer as if it were a tiger with its teeth bared. Unfortunately most of the resources available to the evacuees require online access and basic PC skills.
Frustration and anger with the system that left these people living in unspeakable conditions for WAY TOO LONG
I've talked to someone yesterday who saw a 12 year's throat being slit in front of him. I talked to people who were too afraid to go to sleep for all the days there were in the Superdome and NO Convention Center because they didn't know if they'd be killed in their sleep. I talked to people who spent six days waiting under a bridge for help with no water or food in the sweltering heat.
You can read more of their first hand account at http://www.appalachia-alumni-association.net/blog/.
This thing gets sadder by the minute for me. Reading some of these stories breaks my heart.... for those in lexington I CHALLENGE ALL OF YOU to get involved. We are discussing fundraiser ideas and after friday I'll have a clearer picture of whats going to happen. PLEASE get invloved with us and lend a hand. And do anything else you can: Give money, time, blood, old clotes, anything!
Also, for Lexington folk, do any of you know if any people have been aevacuated to the Central KY area? And if so where are they and do they need help? Also, who's taking clothing and supply donations?
Let me know.
For any South MS folk reading this, please continue to let us know if you are ok and if you need anything at all. We are here for you...and any other DIVAS with news or comments are welcome to chime in.
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Im sure it goes without saying, but im going to say it anyway....Our home is open to any of you Divas out there who are in need...or families or friends of...just let Tim know. We have a spare bedroom, a van, and on occassion home cooked meals. Our prayers are with everyone out there who has been affected by this. The rest of us who are warm and well fed and safe tonight should get off our collective duffs and do whatever we can to help.
The Daniel Boone Chapter American Red Cross will accept donations by mail at 213 West Main Street, Richmond, Ky. 40475. For a credit card donation, call (859) 623-1336. Check donations should indicate charity preference.
• Billy's BBQ, 101 Cochran Road, Lexington, is having a fund-raiser today, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The employees are working for free and all money taken in by the restaurant is being donated to the United Way's Katrina disaster fund
• God's Pantry Food Bank is accepting food and financial donations to assist food banks in the disaster area. Donations can be dropped off at God's Pantry Food Bank, 1685 Jaggie Fox Way, Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. God's Pantry is accepting bottled water, snack foods such as breakfast bars or granola bars, canned meals, peanut butter, paper plates, bowls and cups, plastic utensils, diapers, bleach and disinfecting cleaning products. All financial donations from now until Oct. 1 will be designated to America's Second Harvest. Make a donation online with a credit card at www.godspantry.org or call (859) 255-6592. Mail donations to 1685 Jaggie Fox Way, Lexington KY 40511 and mark it for Katrina Relief.
• Kentucky Habitat for Humanity and the Bluegrass Indo-American Civic Society (BIACS) are holding a fund-raising dinner event on Sunday, Sept. 25 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Oleika Shrine Temple on Southland Drive. The dinner includes an authentic Indian dinner with a traditional Indian dancing performance and a silent auction. Individual tickets are $50. Sponsor tables of 8 are $500. Proceeds benefit Kentucky Habitat for Humanity's "Rebuilding Killai" project, an effort to send 300 volunteers to Killai, India to build 111 permanent homes for families affected by last year's tsunami. A portion of the proceeds will also go towards aiding the victims of Hurricane Katrina. For tickets, contact Jean Cravens at KyGeneJean@aol.com or call (859) 255-1212. For more information visit www.kyhfh.org/kyindia.htm.
• The National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association has issued an urgent request for a tanker. CEO Remi Bellocq said today his group has a donation of diesel fuel in Lake Charles, La. but no way to get it to the Folsom area, where it is needed to run generators. Contact the HBPA at (859) 259-0451 or (866) 245-1711. The HBPA is also working with other equine organizations to put together truckloads of equipment needed in the hurricane zone.
• Paris Police Department is collecting items for hurricane victims at the police garage, 525 High Street, Paris, from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. until Friday. Items collected will be taken Friday to Bay St. Louis, Miss. They are accepting soap, towels, toothbrushes, toothpaste, washcloths, diapers, Gatorade, undergarments, water and boxed or canned food.
• Salvation Army is seeking persons who wish to volunteer locally in the event that there is a need. Applications will be taken at The Salvation Army, 736 West Main Street, Lexington, on the following days and times: Wednesday, Sept. 7, 6-8 p.m.; Thursday, Sept. 8, 9-11 a.m.; Friday, Sept. 9, 3-8 p.m. All applicants should bring a photo ID. Individuals wanting to volunteer in Louisiana, Mississippi or Alabama should complete the volunteer application online at: www.saussw.org/crd/ dsrreg.nsf/registrationw?OpenForm. For more information contact: Major Debra Ashcraft, Associate Area Coordinator, (859) 252-7706.
• Sand Spring Baptist Church in Anderson County has offered its bus to bring displaced hurricane victims to Lawrenceburg for relocation. The church has been added to the database of the Kentucky Emergency Management Agency and may be notified at any time to respond. Any church, organization, group, company or individual that would be willing to adopt a family or help in any way should contact Rusty Johnston at (502) 839-9285.
• Scott County Schools and the Georgetown News Graphic are together collecting cleaning supplies, canned goods and baby supplies for Hancock and Stone counties in Mississippi. For more information, call (502) 863-1111 and ask for Andrea. The truck will leave Friday. They are not accepting clothing.
• The University of Kentucky has created a Web site to share information about disaster relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The site: www.uky. edu/rotator2/subpages/recovery.html features information about what UK is doing to help displaced students from Louisiana and Gulf Coast universities.
Way to go, Adam. Great information! Thanks!
Short notice, but this was on the website for the Harrodsburg Herald newspaper...
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Jack Coleman Jr. is going to Louisana Friday to take supplies to victims of Hurricane Katrina and help rebuild. Anyone who would like to donate and send supplies can drop them by Coleman's Lumberyard.
Items needed include:
Baby Formula
Diapers
Water
Medical Supplies
Bleach
Bandaids
Children's Coloring Books and Toys
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Jack Coleman was the state representative here for years. He is a local businessman who owns the lumberyard and supply store that freely donated the sand that Boone actors played on for the last two years that show ran. I personally like the fact that he is going there himself with supplies and that coloring books were included on this list.
Positive news from SW Fl.
In an area devastated by last year's series of hurricanes (although not to the extent in the Northern gulf Coast) and people are still living in temporary housing, my school district has organized a Coins for Katrina. Lee County is the largest school district in Southern FL and I know that my middle school has already raised an enormaous amount. All donations will be given to the Red Cross. Next, much of the temporary housing (mobile homes) that people have left after their own homes were rebuilt or repaired is being sent to MS. I have seen the "white fields" of row after row of temporary housing. It's weird but comforting to see children on bikes in these stark "neighborhoods". A reminder that life will go on. For my own part I sent what money I could to the Red Cross and I am organizing the Coins for Katrina at this school. It has been very touching to see children who don't have a lot themselves...bring in a baggy of coins that they dug out of Dad's car and the couch.
Great Laurie! It all helps...
This in from SETC
Dear SETC Member:
SETC has initiated an action-response to help theatres that have been devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Many of the professional, community, university, college and high school theatres won't know for a long time what they need to get their programs and theatres up and running. We want to be prepared when that happens!
SETC is compiling and coordinating a list of theatrical equipment that other companies and organizations have available to donate.
EVERYTHING IS NEEDED, as the damage ranges from missing and damaged, roofs and building contents to entire theatre buildings having been washed away.
EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES can be used or new. All aspects of equipment needed to run a theatre from lighting instruments and sound equipment to chairs and computers will be welcome as theatres rebuild.
Please go to the SETC website http://www.setc.org/resources/katrina.asp for more information as to how you can list equipment you have to donate.
Please share this with anyone and everyone you think might be able to donate.
If you know of theatres or schools that will need assistance, please let them know of the "donation-shopping list."
Thank you,
Denise Halbach, President
Betsey Baun, Executive Director
Southeastern Theatre Conference (SETC)
P.O. Box 9868
Greensboro, NC 27429
336-272-3645
setc@setc.org
Good news from Stephen Judd at USM:
Hey guys:
we are up and running in theatre again -- school will open here on the 12th. The new TAD suffered little damage except a cracked skylight panel, a few leaks and some external cosmetic damage. We are currently assessing the season and I'll send out info on that as soon as we know.
Generally faculty folks from theatre and dance are fine. No one was injured. Larry Mullican had a tree go through a back section pof his house and RB took multiple hits on his place out at Tall Pines (RB and Carolyn were up at Pennsylvania at the time). Otherwise we are just trying to clean up, help out, and get back to some semblence of normalcy.
We are watiting to get word on students, many of whom are residents of NOLA and the gulf coast. We know of some already -- much loss of property but as far as we can tell at the moment, no loss of life.
I am trying to find out about Kevin Griffith (Designer/TD at UNO) and his family but haven't been able to get a direct contact -- if anyone has heard from him please let me know.
Otherwise all seems relatively well, all things considered.
I'll be back in touch soon -- there is a lot to do here.
From Jobie Watson:
I've talked to Rebecca Roberts and her family. After a day or so they finally cut their way out of their neighborhood. They are one of the few house with power and some of their H'burg friends w/o have been staying with them. They've been driving out to the surrounding boonies and finding people who are stuck w/o power, food and / or water, then driving back into town to a church or red cross picking-up supplies and taking them back out to people in need. It's really crazy. A friend from Mobile said that people from AL have been doing much the same - - - driving into the rural areas of MS w/ supplies. It's just unbelievable in so many ways.
My moms first cousin lives in Gulfport and we hadnt heard from her until last night when she called my mom. Her is an excerpt from my moms email Tim.
"I was so pleasantly surprised last night about 9:30PM when the phone rang and it was Joan Jackson. She had gone back home either Friday or Saturday for a little while, before returning to friends that live about 30 minutes from Baton Rouge, La. She has electricity so listened to your messages and heard mine. She said her house is livable and plans on returning home Monday. I don't know if she was playing down the damage to her house or not. Said the gutters are gone and shingles from the roof, but she's thankful to have her roof and be alive. She'd gone to a friend's house that lived further from the beach since her house was better built, and then afterwards drove to the friend's brother's home in La.
I told her you and Tim sure would like to come down, but she said to tell you NOT to come. Too much destruction, etc. She said it will never be the same there. So far, her renters plan on staying in the apartment which is next to her. I'm sure she's thankful for that, as that is her only source of income now. Of course, she'll have to have repairs done to that apartment also, and that could take a while.
If you remember, when she had a shop in Bay St. Louis she said it was about a half a block from one of the banks, and now the only thing standing is the bank vault. She was quite depressed after Katrina but said being with the people she's staying with has lifted her spirits.
Anyway, I am so thankful she's alright, and she still has a home to go back to. She said they had eaten lots of peanut butter sandwiches."
Im glad to hear she is alright and i cant believe her house is standing as it was very close to downtown gulfport. I also got a call from a dear friend this weekend who we had also not heard from since the storm. Sara lives in gulfport as well and she is doing fine. She is back in her house whcich although damaged is liveable . Unbelievably her employer(who had told her not to come back to gulfport yet) FIRED her. Yes they fired her and two other employees for not showing up to work. So now she is without a job. I am just flabbergasted at how heartless people can be.
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