Salem Katrina Team Update for October 21

Good morning. Looking forward to our meeting Sunday at 12:15 in the Pioneer Room. Today I read through a web site maintained by an old friend from a history class at Montreat College, Dr. Ed Brenegar. Ed reports the organization at Gautier Presbyterian is running just fine, with 45 to 60 volunteers working there today and great spirit shown by everyone. But the town is simply devastated.

Ed's site, and you'll want to spend some time looking through everything, is:
http://edbrenegar.typepad.com/thepresbyterianpolis/

We were given a mailing and shipping address to share in case you want mail or packages sent to you while working in Gautier which I've put below. Also, we sent the work site $250 towards necessary expenses and we'll probably need to send more. Yesterday they were doing some dry wall work in the church itself, some areas having been cleaned and "de-molded" enough to allow walls to be replaced. They do have showers, as mentioned in an earlier posting to our blog, and they are on a trailer and the port-a-potties are quite sanitary. The weather is a bit nicer and less humid, helping the workers stay comfortable.

Local Mailing and Shipping Address:
Your Name c/o Rev. Chris Bullock
Gautier Presbyterian Church
1009 highway 90
P.O. Box 340
Gautier, MS 39553

Budget: no special news but we did get a nice offer from Kinkos in Salem, where their manager Linda approved doing our printing and signs for half off. Very much appreciated! The budget is about $3200 short but improving. Virginia reports we now have a total of $5258 raised towards the trip and I think that doesn't include the offer from First Pres Newberg.

If possible, consider bringing whatever you need put into the trailer on Sunday so we can get an idea of the bulk and weight involved. Karen Pollan has set aside a room upstairs for storage, and we'll load the trailer on October 29. Loading Sunday when the road crew is to begin driving would just be too busy! Stuff we need...same as before!