First Pres Katrina Relief

Good morning, team. Only eleven days until we push off for the Gulf Coast and we're just about ready. We're scheduling our organizational meeting for Sunday, October 23 somewhere in the morning...Karen Pollan will select the best time and I'll let the team know. We are also continuing our information table between services and the fundraising efforts.

Some Internet sites of interest:
www.salemfirstpres.org
http://salemkatrina.blogspot.com/ (our own Katrina blog site)
www.pcusa.org

Willamette Valley Medical Center has generously offered us some first aid items for our work in Gautier as we set up a first aid station. Our thanks to their CEO (my fellow hospital administrator and our sweet neighbor) Rosemary Davis and her staff. We have also purchased a large first responder kit and a smaller one for use at various work sites.

Having heard that Gautier has generators including two yet to be used, I've declined the kind offer of a loan from Leon Bolen. We still need one more dual burner propane stove, 5 gallon fuel containers, folding ladders, respirators, hard hats, knee pads, dry wall items such as stilts and saws, work crew water jugs, high pressure gas-powered washer, wheel barrows, lawn carts and more. Many, many folks from many churches are out scouting equipment for us. Our heartfelt thanks to all!

Who's on board? Thus far, we have Karen Pollan, Ed Stahl, David Dyer, Wes and Joan Carter, Diane Tibbatts, Morella Larson, Rick Pollan, and Wayne and Mary Swanson. Room for more and your help, regardless of skill level, will be well-received!

What can you be doing between now and our trip South? Get your shots, please. This is vital for your own health and safety. Get your medical information together for me (a list of your medications, medical condition, insurance program with their telephone number and your membership number, and a signed statement saying "I hereby authorize any member of the Salem First Presbyterian Church disaster team, or any attending physician, to approve any medical care indicated in the event of my inability to provide that approval." Put this into an envelope, seal it with your name on the outside and give to Wes Carter to store in the motor home's safe...just in case.

You might also use your contacts to solicit support towards our budget goal of $8500 as we are only just past half way there. One team member has his employer sponsoring his trip, another member contacted nearby churches for their support, and Karen has put the word out throughout the Presbertery.

Please make sure you've gone over the individual team member checklist of stuff to bring. I don't think they mentioned hard hats but that would be a good idea, as would sturdy boots, rain gear, lots of clothes including some you don't mind discarding after they're ruined, and the rest of the list. I invite everyone to please, please pack your gear into some sort of duffel or laundry bag, label it with your name and the contents, and give it to us by October 29 so we can haul it to Gautier for you with the road crew (as opposed to the "plane" crew).

I still beg for everyone's travel information. Unless we hear otherwise we should assume that everyone is traveling by air and that we are to pick you up the evening of November 6 and return to the Gulfport airport the morning (around 10 or so) of November 21. Any volunteers to provide shuttle service from Salem to Portland International and back to avoid taking (and parking at $8/day) everyone's own cars?