Salem Katrina Team Update, Evening, October 25

Remember to raise funds for our team and for the expenses of the church in Gautier. They recommend sending gift cards from Lowe's or Wal-Mart.

The Presbyterian Disaster Assistance has posted fine video clips at their web site, some showing volunteers' daily chores, camp life, damaged homes and the like. View the videos by going to their site http://www.pcusa.org/katrina/reflections/video.htm

Gautier Presbyterian's pastor, Chris Bullock, printed out a membership directory of his church and noted by each member the impact of Katrina. As you look this list over, you'll notice that nearly everyone had devastating damage, a situation which staggers even the one or two folks who somehow escaped severe loss. Here is the list of our friends we have yet to met next month, first showing the impact of the storm and then their names:

Church Directory

Gautier Presbyterian Church

Family lost a great deal of business due to the storm and suffered water damage.
ADAMS, William, Elizabeth

Are simply exhausted from trying to clean up around their house.
AIRHART, Jim , Sue

Navy family that will have to relocate because the homeport which was already slated to close sustained too much damage
ALTIZER, Michael, Casondra, Brielle

Had tremendous flood damage.
BERNSTEIN, Patricia (Pat), Richard (Dick)

Stayed during the storm. The three children stayed as well and remained traumatized.
BEVERAGE, Leon, Calvin Brown, Shone, Hanna

She is our oldest member and is coping well.
Had water damage to their second floor and a gaping hole in their roof.
CLEMENTS, Aubin

CHIVERS, Joyce

Are doing well but have many friends/family in the Houston/Galveston area.
DRAKE, Ralph, Dotty

Are doing well but have many friends in Texas.
Eichmans, Frank, Judy

Lost their home and all their possessions in the storm.
DITTMAN, George, Mary

Having great difficulty with the magnitude of the damage in our area.
KERR, Debra

Struggling, as a young family, to help others out in the church.
LARSEN, Waldemar, Robin, Amy Jo, Billy

Pam was supposed to have surgery in New Orleans the day before the hurricane but it was canceled.
MARTIN, Wayne, Pam, Courtney

Were new to the area and stayed during the storm and are having a hard time coping afterwards
FISHINGER, Bill, Jan

Were also new to the area and stayed during the storm and are having trouble coping.
GILLEN, Dan , Blanche

Tremendous damage to both of their work sites. Sylvia’s restaurant went under water.
HAINES, George, Sylvia

Health problems in the midst of all of this and both had to go back to work quickly after the storm which is both a blessing and difficulty with all that needs done.
MATTISON, James (Jack), Donna

Had significant water damage to her house.
HENNE, Daphne

Had to swim out of her house as the water went over her roof. She is nearly 80.
HOUSEHOLDER, Marge

Tree damage.
HUNT, Fred

Roof damage and yard damage. She has taken in a friend of her late husband’s who lost his house.
KOGER, Dorothy

Flood damage
LAGANGA, Keith, Heidi, Samantha, Tony

New to the community and trying to cope with the damage. House faired well
McDOWELL, Dixon, Linda

30 trees down on their lot. Some still hang precariously over the house.
MEENINK, Dick, Brandy

Several holes in their roof.
MIGNAULT, Richard, June

Stayed during the storm because he has cancer and they couldn’t move.
POOLE, Dick, Barbara

Lost most of her downstairs to the storm. All her precious music/piano/organ was downstairs.
RICHARDSON, Martha

Lost her house and all her many belongings in the storm.
ROBERSON, Gerry

Roof damage. She is caring for her daughter and son in law who lost everything in their beautficul water front home.
SHARPE, Judy

Had sludge throughout their home and are having to gut it all.
TALBOT, Jim , Jo, Dan

Lost the downstairs to flood.
TORGERSON, Rick, Donnis

Lots of tree damage.
WISE, Jerry, Mary

Some water in the house.
WOLFE, Jesse, Cookie

Some roof damage. They are caring for her mother, who lost everything
WOODWARD, Dan, Gerry Anne, Amanda Partridge

Pray for us.

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On today's team business:

I got turned down for the blood drive at church because the Red Cross no longer accepts donations from Persian Gulf vets. That's something I'm going to check...is there some bug I don't know I got exposed to?? Congratulations to the team members I saw there, and especially to Rick Pollan's daughter on her first time donating! Anyway, I enjoyed the cookies!

We went over to Home Depot and many thanks to their management for offering a 10% discount on our purchases. We stocked up on lights, locks, folding ladders, respirators, tape, spare filters, and more. Pretty much locked up our budget but got items we need. The manager at Home Depot reminded me that her store and Lowe's both invite folks to take their classes for free.

Virginia forwarded our second $250 check to Gautier Presbyterian, and gave me the petty cash checks. The $650 donation from First Pres Newberg hasn't come in yet so that's money for the future, plus there was a donation in the collection plate on Sunday for $100 and the $750 in checks given to the information table. Therefore, we have remaining about $1650 left in the bank with Virginia, having spent most of the money on fuel cards and petty cash checks, as we'd planned. Thanks, Virginia, for such kindness getting the checks done, the cards figured out, the paperwork organized for us.

Rick Pollan: I need your flight info, please. Don't want you standing too long at baggage claims! (got it Wednesday morning, thanks...enjoy your "red eye" flight to Houston!)

Tomorrow we pick up the U-Haul and get the electrical connections figured out to the motor home, and then load up the materials from McMinnville. We'll bring the trailer to the church on Thursday, and then load from our church trailer and the upstairs storage room at 10:00 on Saturday. Anybody free that morning, please show up and lend a hand.

Still looking for a couple folding ladders and wheelbarrows or garden carts. Please be sure you have your individual equipment. I heard on the news that flu shots are now available in the Salem area...get yours now, folks.