Posted on 09/02/2005 12:52:19 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
BATON ROUGE, LA. - The Chatmans popped the trunk on their aging Oldsmobile and pulled out garbage bags bursting with baby formula, clothes, shoes, sheets, and food.
The Baton Rouge family didn't know anyone affected by hurricane Katrina. But when they heard a local television station was a designated donation drop-off location, they gathered up all they could and headed into town.
"We have very little, but they have nothing," says Dre Chatman, unloading another bag. "It's people helping people."
The historic storm has left tens of thousands of people in Louisiana and Mississippi without possessions or a place to live.
The entire region - indeed, the nation - has responded in a huge outpouring of support for those affected by Katrina.
The American Red Cross, at press time, has collected $21 million, with nearly $15 million coming from individual donations through its website. Corporate donors have contributed more than 1 million pounds of groceries through food banks. Other corporations are donating everything from trucks to phone cards to bottled water. The US Chamber of Commerce said initial corporate donations to the relief efforts could total more than $100 million. Giving USA in Glenview, Ill., said individual and corporate donations combined could reach $1 billion. Pop stars are already promising to participate in hurricane Katrina telethons.
And every day Americans are showing up at shelters to volunteer and offering their homes to total strangers through Internet postings.
"Everyone has been wanting to help," says Diana Gary, at WAFB Channel 9 in Baton Rouge, where hundreds of people were donating whatever they could spare. "This morning a homeless man brought over a $20 bill he had just been given."
Baton Rouge, the capital of Louisiana, has become the largest gathering place for hurricane evacuees in the region. Estimates are that the city will double in size before the worst is over. In one Red Cross shelter, the River Center, some 5,000 of the displaced pass the days wondering about their homes while making new friends.
"The people have been so nice," says Elaine Dominio, sitting on a blanket at the shelter. "They have given us everything we need: food, shelter, clothes."
Ms. Dominio only recently showed up at the River Center with her son after being evacuated from her rooftop in Chalmette, La. They made it through the hurricane and thought they were safe. "But then the water just came up," she says.
A "family locator" 1-800 number has been set up to facilitate reunions, says Melissa Wenzel, a Red Cross spokeswoman. "But the sheer number of people [wanting to use the service] is slowing that process considerably."
In fact, the volume of those in need are making everything from providing meals to showers a logistical nightmare. Here at the crowded River Center strained tensions have already lead to incidents of violence such as car jackings.
Many schools and churches that are serving as shelters will soon close so they can return to normal operations.
Beth Heinzen is a teacher at one of those schools. The 7th-grade English teacher says she will continue to come down to the River Center to volunteer each day until classes restart. "I have electricity, power, water. I figure if I am ready to go, I should be out helping," she says.
Her assigned task is to fold thousands of donated boys' pants and tops. All along the brick wall are signs that read "girls' underwear," "men's shirts," "shoes," and volunteers are doing their best to sort through the flood of clothing. A donated blue evening gown hangs, forgotten.
Racquel Guice is camped out in the middle of the convention-center floor, having been provided with bedding and a few clothes. She and her two boys just got here, having slept in their car for two nights.
"It's actually much better than I thought it would be, but I hope it's really not going to be a month like this," says the New Orleanian who already knows that her home is filled with three feet of water.
Several days after the hurricane, President Bush flew over the devastated areas and promised massive governmental support: 5.4 million ready-to-eat meals, 13.4 million liters of water, and 11,000 cots are among the many things on their way.
In addition, this week the Baton Rouge Area Foundation set up two funds to aid the evacuees: the Hurricane Katrina Displaced Residents Fund, which will benefit those who have been evacuated to the capital, and the Hurricane Katrina New Orleans Recovery Fund, which will focus on the rebuilding of infrastructure and providing basic services to residents once they are allowed in. The foundation expects that as many as 500,000 people may be required to remain in the Baton Rouge area for up to six months.
Back at the television parking lot, the donations keep pouring in. Kendrick Price shows up with several bags stuffed with clothes, toiletries, shoes, and underwear. "I've got a sister in New Orleans who is trapped in there, and I needed to do something," he says. "It's just a bad time for everyone right now.
Companies move to donate to Katrina relief
By ASHLEY M. HEHER, AP
Pharmaceutical companies rounded up much-needed medicine, water suppliers loaded trucks with thirst-quenching cargo and companies from petroleum giants to beer makers pitched in millions in cash and products Wednesday to help communities battered by Hurricane Katrina.
The efforts to collect money and goods to help the Gulf Coast rebuild gathered momentum Wednesday as officials continued assessing the damage from one of the nation's worst natural disasters.
American Red Cross spokeswoman Sarah Marchetti said at least 30 companies had made donations by Wednesday morning, and the number was expected to climb.
"They've been pouring in," she said.
In Indianapolis, drug maker Eli Lilly & Co. prepared to send 40,000 vials of refrigerated insulin to patients in the Southeast, along with at least $1 million in cash to the American Red Cross.
"We're poised to ship as soon as we get the OK," Lilly spokesman Edward Sagebiel said.
Drug maker Wyeth of Madison, N.J., planned to donate antibiotics and nonprescription pain relievers, health care giant Johnson & Johnson provided $250,000 worth of kits containing toothbrushes, soap and shampoo, as well as pallets of pain relievers and wound care supplies. Drug maker Merck & Co. planned to send antibiotics and hepatitis A vaccines to protect those facing contaminated waters.
"Our commitment is open-ended," said Merck spokeswoman Janet Skidmore.
Illinois-based pharmaceutical company Abbott Laboratories Inc. is giving $2 million cash and at least $2 million in nutritional and medical products.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce said initial corporate donations to the relief efforts could total more than $100 million.
Hank Goldstein, chairman of Giving USA in Glenview, Ill., said individual and corporate donations combined could reach $1 billion.
But he predicted the corporate relief effort would be smaller than those recorded after the 2001 terrorist attacks and the tsunami that ravaged Asia in December.
"This kind of money comes quick and comes early and then falls off fast after that," Goldstein said. "It will abate along with the water."
Donations Wednesday already had reached well into the millions and included $5 million from Chevron Corp., $3 million each from JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Citigroup, $2 million from Pfizer and $1 million from insurer State Farm.
The Walt Disney Co. contributed $2.5 million, $1 million of which will go to the American Red Cross and the rest for rebuilding efforts and volunteer centers helping affected communities.
The contributions also included 50 trucks donated by Nissan North America to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, more than 825,000 cans of water supplied by Anheuser-Busch in St. Louis and 3,000 walkie talkie-type phones for emergency personnel from Sprint Nextel Corp. Kellogg Co. of Battle Creek, Mich., sent seven truckloads of crackers and cookies to hard-hit areas. General Motors Corp. also planned to donate 25 cars and trucks to the Red Cross.
Qwest Communications International Inc. will send 2,000 long-distance calling cards so those affected could call loved ones, said spokesman Michael Dunne. He said Denver-based Qwest also has given the Red Cross $230,000 to help train responders.
Home improvement companies Home Depot and Lowe's pledged cash and manpower, while Culligan International of Northbrook, Ill., sent five truckloads of water to residents in Alabama and Mississippi.
The water, part of a larger, 28-truck convoy organized by the Missouri-based Convoy of Hope, was traveling at 10 mph through Mississippi.
"It's very treacherous," said Mike Ennis, director of strategic initiatives at Convoy of Hope.
Office Depot of Delray Beach, Fla., donated $1 million to the American Red Cross for hurricane relief efforts. Officials announced Wednesday the company also would give the contents of its five New Orleans stores, valued at $4 million, to New Orleans officials to use as they recover from Hurricane Katrina.
Spokesman Brian Levine said the contents include items such as printers, paper, cartridges, pens and notebooks. What might be available and its condition were unclear.
City officials on Wednesday commandeered equipment from a looted Office Depot. During a state of emergency, authorities have broad powers to take private supplies and buildings for their use.
But Levine couldn't say what condition the items might be in given the flooding that has ravaged the city.
"I couldn't tell you if it's completely flooded, a little flooded, or not," he said. "Our position is we're donating the contents of the entire store."
Great to read an article with so much 'positive' information. God bless those helping the relief effort in a large or small way.
It will be good once they get all those people out.
Bump. We definitely need a 'good news' thread for stories like this.
And every day Americans are showing up at shelters to volunteer and offering their homes to total strangers through Internet postings.
Amen about relief efforts. We all watched to see what would happen, not realizing that the worst would happen. It unfolded before our eyes and caught us unprepared. Unfortunately for those least prepared. Let us help the least prepared now. God bless all those who have suffered losses and/or perished.
In the U.S., let us care for our own. Let us be more prepared in the future to care for our own. How can we reasonably do more?
Amen.
Bump to a good news thread!!
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