Salem Katrina Team Update October 28

Just about ready! Tomorrow we finish loading the U-Haul and Dodge van, but I expect we'll have a pretty full load. We've got so much stuff, if we have trouble driving to Mississippi maybe we'll just pull over and set up our own Home Depot or something!

Here are the things we're bringing to Gautier:
1. Work tools and personal items for crew of 9
2. Folding ladder, 2 joiners (one on floor stand), 1 table saw on floor stand, to be donated
3. 30 gal trash barrel on wheels, to be donated
4. 150 to 250 beautiful handmade quilts to be donated and these will be appreciated!
5. 150 cleaning buckets, 20 loaded with supplies to use or donate
6. First aid station with manual wheelchair, all to be donated when we leave
7. 1500w gas generator, to use and donate when we leave
8. Food preparation equipment including stoves, coolers, pots & pans, serving materials dry paper goods, food for crew, field oven, 2 propane bottles, 1 propane lamp, 1 battery lamp. All to be left for other teams
9. Boxes - thousands of stuffed animals for town police, schools, fire department, area Salvation Army
10. Cash ($500 so far) already mailed to Gautier Presbyterian towards camp expenses
11. Dual burner propane stove, small propane area heater. 30-amp power cords, drills, circular saws, chain saw, 3 5-gal fuel containers, 1 1-gal fuel container, 5 5-gal water containers
12. 25" color TV and 13" TV/VCR combo to use for tent city and donate
13. VCR, digital phones, answering machine, HP multifunction printer w/spare ink, Polaroid photo printers, office supplies to donate for business or home office use
14. Battery-powered floor vacuum and several tarps to donate
15. Microwave/convection oven to donate
16. 2 electric heaters, 1 to donate
17. 1 wet-dry vacuum
18. folding campfire pit for camp use
19. electric scooter for team use at camp
20. 3 twin-size inflatable mattresses, 2 pillows to use and then donate
21. '94 Dodge Caravan, extended bed; lots of miles and runs fine, for team use and then to donate
22. 1750 psi electric high pressure washer to use and then donate


Virginia phoned today. Some additional funds have arrived for which we give thanks. She also wanted to suggest that we send all financial donors a general accounting of how the funds for our team get spent. That's ideal! We can do it by mail with a thank-you note when the trip is over, and we can also publish a summary here on the blog.

Came across a Presbyterian team going to Mississippi from Lake Oswego. They will be working over Thanksgiving so we made arrangements to loan our Dodge van for their use if it would be helpful.

Its getting late. This has been one super-busy day with more shopping, some van repairs and a whole lot of loading. See you tomorrow at 10:00! Karen, you better have that trailer key!!!!