CapIsDowntown.com

ALERT:  We are sad to announce that our days in the warehouse space on 2^nd Ave. N. are numbered and we must find a new home.  If you know of an empty building downtown that would be suitable for our activities, PLEASE let me know ASAP!  Thanks again to Charles Ladd and Watt Realty for letting us use the warehouse for these many months! 

We need volunteers to finish making the kits before we move.  If you have an hour or two, please join us at the CAP office at 1801 3rd Ave. N. to make up the bags of lancets. 

GREAT NEWS!!  Stinnett Transmissions, 5602 2^nd Ave. South has agreed to give our Hurricane Van a new transmission!!!!!!  I can’t tell you how much we have missed the van and will probably make another trip with diabetic kits as soon as it is ready.  PLEASE GIVE STINNETT YOUR TRANSMISSION BUSINESS and tell them we sent you!  You should have seen us dancing in the office! 

More exciting stuff is happening with the circle of communication and sharing we have built with the Health Clinic community in the Gulf Coast .  For instance, Ozanam Charitable Pharmacy in Mobile sent us a list of overstocked meds.  D’Iberville Free Clinic took the meds and did an inventory while we sent the word out that they were available.  Now they are ready to be distributed to the clinics who have expressed a need for those medications.  Ruth with Direct Relief International asked us to come up with a list of medications for them to pursue donors.  About 10 clinics responded.  Wow!  Thanks Ruth!

If you would like to be more involved with what’s happening with the clinics, we are in desperate need of virtual volunteers.  If you have time during regular working hours to make phone calls and have internet access and time, please call me!

In an unfortunate turn of events, the owner of the Anchor Homes warehouse in Waveland, MS who had offered free space to our friend Kathleen Johnson, had a change of heart after approx. $150,000 worth of lumber, donated by Free Haul NPC,  came into the warehouse.  He kicked her out refusing her access to the donated supplies.  In addition to the lumber were several pallets of building supplies, almost 200 mattresses and a couple pallets of diabetic kits.  Towards the end of January, I made a solo trip (now addicted to coffee – ugh) down to Waveland to join Christina and Jessica from Free Haul in an attempt to retrieve the donations.  To make a long story short we were able to get some of the lumber, all of the mattresses and the diabetic kits out.  The kits were distributed to Coastal Clinics in Bay St. Louis, Pass Christian and Longbeach, Volunteers of Amer. Clinic in Gulfport and to NOLA.  Thanks to Jan from Jefferson Comm. Health Clinic for coming to Waveland to pick the NOLA kits up!  Christina is filing charges and we expect to eventually get the rest of the lumber and building supplies to the people who need it so desperately.  The worst part of the story is that we lost a great warehouse space--something that is quite hard to find in the area.  The good news is that I got to meet the gals from Free Haul (who rock by the way), Suzzie Pollard from the Humane Soc. Shelter, CC While (relief worker), Dr. Carl (who has been distributing kits for us down there), make a personal contact with the Salvation Army warehouse, and spend a few days with Kathleen. 

BTW- Suzzie has many, many beautiful cats and some sweet dogs that are neutered and ready for adoption.  All the cats and dogs live together which I found amazing.  Please let me know if you are interested in adopting.  I will be glad to pick up an animal or two next time I go down. 

Free Haul sent CC White to Decatur for some cat food and on her way back she stopped by the warehouse and picked up 8 pallets from us. Yahoo!! 

3 pallets of blankets, linens and towels that were collected by the Aware Club and Greater Bham Human. Soc. 

3 pallets of medical supplies donated by UAB Hospital going to Ocean Springs

1 pallets of baby formula going to Bay St. Louis/Waveland

1 pallet of diabetic kits going to Common Ground in NOLA.  The kits that Jan picked up for NOLA will be split between Xavier Univ. Clinic and Excelt Clinics and Jefferson Comm. Health Clinic.

Thanks for your support and everything you do!

Laura