Salem Katrina Team Report for November 17, evening

I sent a blog entry around noon and much happened after that to report. We had a good day...crews working their heads off in so many places, doing great work and with great joy! Yesterday we thought we'd raised enough money to cover a gentleman's glasses and dentures...to replace ones lost in the flooding, but we were about $300 short in our estimate of what such things cost. No problem...a couple minutes of discussion and several teams solved the issue with their gifts. Tomorrow, Karen's off to take care of things on that issue.

We worked with the lady shown on the above right when we heard about her having waited 10 weeks so far for her FEMA trailer, first promised for delivery on October 10. Last weekend her electricity was cut off because the house is unsafe to live in, and she's developed some respiratory problems. It is cold here...frost on the ground in the mornings and this lovely lady is living in a tent! She loves her five pocket-sized dogs and won't leave them. We tried calling FEMA about her trailer, only to learn that in Mississippi FEMA isn't responsible for trailers...the state government is...and the FEMA lady had no idea what their number is! Amazing. It makes one think that these agencies are mostly trying to make sure people just don't bring problems to them! More on this woman below at the conclusion.

Our crew finally got together for a group photo before everyone left for work. We're missing Morella and Rick, but really they're still here with us in spirit! This has been a week to meet some folks from Salem First Presbyterian beyond their "church faces"...and to know the true character of some fine, fine people. They are a blessing to Salem and they have brought blessings to so many people of the Gulf Coast. Our thanks for the financial support of Salem First Presbyterian and our friends in other churches which got us here and let us help so many wonderful people!

Remember those beautiful quilts? We handed out many of them to the church folks yesterday, and today Joan and Karen visited a local school badly hit by Katrina. You can see the happiness of the visit - not just the kids - look at Karen! What a beautiful part of the day to be with these youngsters. I think we'd better check Karen's luggage beforep taking her to the airport Saturday to make sure she didn't swipe any of these kids.

Wayne and Ed were out doing their usual hard work, as was Bubba San David once he'd replaced the propane tanks for our tent city showers. Very important! Wayne headed off to Lowe's to buy sheetrock for a "customer" who couldn't pay for their own so that we could get a bathroom and bedroom walled up and livable until more could be done by teams following us.

Now back to the lady who's been living in her tent. We headed off to a Lutheran "one stop shopping" disaster center and learned they have social workers. Luckily, they were all ex-military and Wes "put the arm on them" to help our lady and they'll see her tomorrow. We got a hot Lutheran meal and delivered it to her. We then returned to the church to get a generator, electrical cord, lamp and small heater. We delivered them to the lady's home tonight (boy, was it ever cold!!) and with Victor's helping in Spanish, showed her how to use and refuel the generator. Tonight, this woman has lights and heat, a hot meal, boxes of food for later and hope for tomorrow.
Do you know how very nice our Karen Pollan is? We do! She volunteered to cook breakfast tomorrow so I could sleep in!!! Yeah!!!! That will help make up for our having to be up at 4:30AM Saturday to get her to the airport. If ever you don't want her, Salem, send her here!

Final thoughts. Why the heck doesn't the person answering the FEMA hotline for Katrina victims know the number to call for Mississippi trailers? Suggestion: all the volunteer agencies between Gulfport and Pascagola ought to have a town meeting and get everyone's services, phone numbers, etc., identified and typed up, and a data base established so if one volunteer group can't solve a probem we know who else to call.

If you come to Gautier to help the storm victims, watch out for the attack geese!

Appeal: What would I do with a few extra thousand bucks? I would buy a certain gentleman a replacement set of hearing aides. I would get the lady shown above linens and dishes for when her FEMA trailer arrives...she's lost everything. I would also use a thousand bucks to replace the kid's playground equipment here at Gautier Presbyterian with clean, safe items which happen to be made locally. I would get Victor a used car and a bank card with $200 on it. I would hire a plumber for a couple jobs we can't handle. I would, with FEMA, organize a town hall meeting of all services between Pascagola and Gulfport so every manager knows where to find services for folks they can't help in their own groups. I would pay for electrical work to the tent area of our PDA camp, or at least to the shower area. Believe me, I have a list. Wayne has a list. Mary has a list. Joan has a list. David has a list. Rick has a list. Ed has a list. Morella has a list. Karen has a list. You can't come to Gautier or anyplace on the Gulf Coast and not want to use the tool of money to help suffering people. I would also send what I could to those suffering in Pakistan...before it is too late for them!