Hurricane Refugee Help

Kimberly Dow · 09-02-2005, 07:37 PM

As most of you know - over 50,000 of the hurricane victims are in Houston. They are slowly dispersing these folks to other cities because one can not handle all of them. My city is getting over 5000 either tomorrow or the next day.

If any of you would like to send items that these folks might need - like clothing, shoes, medical supplies, etc. - and you'd like to make sure it gets handed directly to people who need it - please email me. You can send it directly to my house if you like since my family and I will be going down to the colliseum to help out. Most of these folks have nothing but the clothes on their backs. If anyone is interested I'll get a better idea of what they might need later on.

I heard today of a fellow in Houston who spent $25,000 of his own money in pizzas to send over to the Astrodome yesterday.

Magdalena Castaneda · 09-03-2005, 01:10 PM

Kim,

This is a generous act on your part, and coincidently I was telling my friend yesterday that I wish we could send clothes to the folks in this devastation. We are moving, and have many clothes that we were going to give away up here. We will send them to you, and know that the people will actually receive them. Move on my move after Sept 9th.

So send me the address and we'll get the packages sent out on Tues.

Thank you Kim for your generosity, and kindness.

Magdalena

Kimberly Dow · 09-03-2005, 03:51 PM

I've had a bunch of emails - so let me answer here -

Edit - email me personally for the address - a surrogate Mom wants me to take mine off here.

if your boxes arent too big, Fed Ex ground is cheaper than USPO

I dont have any more info on what is needed - but I still think clothes and shoes are vital.

I did just hear that New Orleans emptied an orphanage right before the hurricane - we have 45 orphans at a Childrens Home here. Aged 1-17. The newspaper was saying how these poor kids had to leav e all their belongings and how important that is to children with no families. So - think about that as well. Does your child have any video systems they dont use anymore? I wouldnt suggest stuffed animals - because they usually have too many of those.

Thank you

Kimberly Dow · 09-03-2005, 05:58 PM

baby clothing
diapers
baby meds - like tylenol/advil
hygeine products - soap, shampoo, deodorant
sunscreen
shoes -sandels
small appliances
canned goods
flashlights
pillows

Magdalena Castaneda · 09-04-2005, 11:42 AM

Kim,

Post office closed tomorrow, will send off packages on tues. These are the times that help me understand how much I really have, and to be grateful not just for the material things, but for my family, friends, well community...Thank you Kim.

Magdalena

Kimberly Dow · 09-04-2005, 10:09 PM

We already have 700-1000 folks at our colliseum so far. I was down there today and what is needed badly is shoes of every size (preferable sneakers, not dress shoes) and they desperately need duffel bags or suitcases to keep their few belongings in - especially the elderly and mothers who are already carrying babies.

These folks are amazing. Smiling and grateful for the help. Many that I talked to are planning on stayine here and settling since they have nothing to go back to. The only ones I saw that are visably still in shock are the kids aged 7-12 or so. The adults are adapting and taking care of their children. There are many volunteers walking around with tshirts that say: PSYCHIATRIC COUNSELOR. I watched a couple try to talk to some younger folks, but they didnt want to talk. I can only imagine reading their shirts might be a little intimidating.

I got to help out by babysitting so several mothers could go eat and pick out some clothes from the donation area. Now - that was great fun. I also helped one 84-year-old spry woman who was evacuated by the National Guard from her Senior Citizen Home. The shoes she had were several sizes to large. It was a long walk to the clothing donation area, but Vida refused a wheelchair. She is funny as anything. Out of all the shoes there - there was only one pair of sneakers that fit her, but she was so relieved when we got them on her. She also got to pick out some clothes. She didnt care for the sequined dresses I kept trying to get her to take, but she says she may come back for the package of thongs tomorrow.

Vida is missing her daughter and grandaughter who were also in New Orleans. She doesnt know still if they got out or if they survived. They have banks of phones set up where they can call family - and all the agencies that are starting to record who is where. After serving breakfast in the morning I promised her I'd get her and we'd see if we could locate her daughter.

Tomorrow will be another day, and the colliseum will fill up - but they are promising no overcrowding since there are churches and other places to house folks. So far - it is all running very smoothly with as many volunteers as there are victims.

A couple of the mothers I spoke to were telling me their stories. Nothing as bad as the worse stuff we are seeing on the TV reports - but a lot of carrying their children through high flood waters and such.
Their upbeat attitudes after the week they have had - is just amazing.

Denise Hall · 09-04-2005, 11:40 PM

Kim,

It is so wonderful what you are doing - and the link we have now that you are keeping us posted. You will be so rewarded from doing this - and you already are - you met Vida. I was a new Red Cross caseworker during Hurricane Floyd - which hit my neighborhood (eastern NC) a few years ago. For weeks we were unable to go to work, have electricity, etc. and people were airlifted in helicopters all around us from their flooded homes. I heard heart wrenching stories of survival as a caseworker. Anything you can do to directly comfort these people will never be forgotten by them. You are fortunate to be able to help.

Our area will definitely be sending aide - probably a lot. Everyone here knows how much it means. Thank you for posting and offering direct help and even though I will work through people here to send things and the Red Cross for money donations - we just might send a box of stuff your way - teen stuff abounds at my house!!

Again - thank you for keeping us posted. I will be checking back soon.

Denise

Michele Rushworth · 09-04-2005, 11:53 PM

Kim, thank you for all you're doing.

Kimberly Dow · 09-05-2005, 12:39 AM

That's sweet and all, but it's not much - believe me. Im just one of thousands doing a tiny tiny bit. And, the tiny bit I do to help doesnt compare to how rewarding it is personally.

I just though these forums would be a good way to get the word out to people of what the real actual needs are (at least for our one group of evacutees) - and a more expediant way to get items into their hands directly. In Houston they wont let people drop off items at the Astrodome....they have to get to a Red Cross and donate - then the RC sorts and sends out.....and its just a lot of red tape. Here, I can walk right up to the donation area(the victims are calling it the Shopping area) and hand the stuff over, put it in the right piles immediatly....and the folks come right out and look for what they need.

Joan Breckwoldt · 09-05-2005, 07:46 PM

Kim, what a fantastic idea. It just didn't occur to me that people would want to get their stuff to Houston, or anywhere else in Texas where the refugees are. How generous of people to go through the trouble and expense to ship their stuff to the refugees. And how great of you to take that on.

I just wanted to let people know though, that you can drop stuff off at the Astrodome directly, I did it on Thursday. There are drop off points in the parking lot, off the west bound feeder. There were conflicting reports, first they said don't drop off, then do, so I just went down there. I just didn't want anyone in the Houston area to be discouraged from dropping off directly if that's what they want to do. There's also a place across the highway from the Astrodome that was taking donations, in the parking lot.

It has been heartwarming to see the outpouring of donations and effort for the refugees here in Houston, as I know is happening in many other towns in the region. My son's cub scout troop collected clothing, etc. over the weekend. My daughters youth group collected and sorted clothing, toys, etc. over the weekend. Both their lower school and upper school had drives last week and will continue to collect donations. Our garbage collectors are going to pick up donations with their regular trash pick up this week - for those who can't get their items to a church or Salvation Army location. Our church is collecting items to take. My neighbor just stopped by (she locked herself out and needed her house key!) and the back of her car was full of things to take tomorrow to donate. A friend of mine spotted a displaced family in the cafe area in a neighborhood grocery store and started a conversation with them, she ended up letting them borrow an extra car that her family wasn't using for as long as they need it.

I guess this is all to say that although there may be some reports on the news about disorganization at the Astrodome and Reliant Center, and the Convention Center, if what I have seen in the last week is any indication, rest assured that the people in the Astrodome are getting large quantities of donations. What they don't have are the medical personnel. They need our continued support and our prayers.

Joan