10/11/05
I'm emailing back and forth with Mark Brown, Salvation Army. He asked me if we thought we could ship what we have (clothing and food) on THURSDAY!!! He has 4 pallets to add of new clothing from their warehouse here. That only makes 1/2 a shipment unless we find a smaller truck or can piggyback. At any rate, we need to get the rest of the clothing put in baggies and we need help. Please come help if you possibly can. Laura
PS FYI we are also working on getting school supplies to teachers in MS. The Bham Business Journal will put it on their website, hopefully tomorrow.
10/16/05
Wow, what a trip!! I'm so glad I went. Found a network of grassroots people helping with lots of needs. We went to a church in McHenry, a hospital in both Gulfport and Bay St. Louis, a tent camp in a parking lot, and a very funky distribution center set up in a Field on Hwy 49 in Gulfport. Everyone was very welcoming. Even though it was late, the hospital in Bay St. Louis gave us a tour. We didn't get to Fairhope (where we spent the night with my dad until 3am). Wish you all could have been with us!!!
I am taking off tomorrow (Monday). Tues. we will ship some stuff down via a couple going down in a regular van. Things we will be trying to collect:
tents, lanterns, sleeping bags, solar showers
underwear, socks
Also, we still need
Baby lotion, shampoo and powder
Also, if anybody has a contact for those large tents (the kind people have weddings in) a group living in a parking lot has a need for it.
Also, heavy equipment. :-)
Laura
10/18/05 Anybody Coming In Tomorrow?
Please let me know. We need to get all the big food cans ready to ship to Biloxi. Big shelter is low on food. I'm trying to get hold of my Sal. Army contact to see if they can help too. Waveland, MS would like food boxes. We sent 23 boxes today and will send more probably on Friday. I bought enough baby shampoo, lotion and powder for 5 more baby packs. Did a thing on Channel 33 today with the folks who brought computers down to the FEMA Recovery Center. Let me know if they air it somebody. Talked to our PR guy about starting a "Got Panties" campaign to collect underwear. I've sent out a letter to the dance community to try and get tents collected. My friend in Decatur is also trying to get some for us. I'm going to do a flyer for teacher supplies. I'll need everybody's help in finding a teacher in each school who will put it in the teachers lounge and be responsible for calling us when stuff is collected.
Later,
Laura
10/19/05
Here's what's new:
Met with Penny and Keith from "up north" somewhere. A fabulous couple who brought computers down to the FEMA place (Bob Prescott). We took 2 of the computers back from Bob (thanks Bob) and sent them along with 23 food boxes and a bunch of underwear and socks to the coast. They went to the Hancock Med. Center. Penny got lots of hugs for the underwear. Speaking of underwear, we are going to start a campaign for collecting underwear. In fact. Rick (alia Biloxidoc) who started this campaign is looking for a warehouse to have people ship to from all over. I've volunteered our warehouse and volunteers () to sort. One thing is for sure, the receiving end REALLY appreciates the careful sorting we do!! The diabetic supplies are starting to be popular (finally!). The food boxes are also in high demand now. Mark Brown's wife called me and said they were leaving to go back to Lake Charles with a truck and wanted to take the food boxes. I told them I had promised them to Waveland but would give them a pallet. They also want the toiletry packs. Sally has made up around 100 first aid kits (yeah Sally!). The only think they lack is neosporin or a triple antibiotic so if any body has any doctor connections to get samples........ Ray and I are going to load 24 boxes (144 cans) of the giant cans tomorrow at 9am. (thanks to our window artist who helped me when she brought in lots of stuff collected from her school) Lorraine is coming at 10am. Anybody else coming tomorrow? They will be headed for a shelter called Compassion Central in Biloxi via the Coke truck (thanks LuAnne). Monday we will ship some more food boxes via a woman named Cathy who is driving down from Bowling Green, KY headed to volunteer at the coast. Trish is starting to work on getting teachers to donate supplies for teachers (thanks Trish). Here's what we need and are collecting:
1) Need groups of people/kids to pass out flyers at grocery store and collect the goods.
2) We need FOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!
3) We need baby shampoo, lotion, and powder
4) Underwear
5) TENTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
6) Lanterns, solar showers, sleeping bags and blankets
