imported_kev
09-02-2005, 03:45 PM
All (including you folks who lurk, contact me),
I'm especially calling upon the hard learned experiences of those of us who have lived through the aftermath of disaster man made or natural. I've lived through a few F5 tornadoes, and one thing I learned the hard way is that you don't recover quickly and you can use all the help you can get.
My wife and I are brainstorming on ways to help on a local level here in Birmingham. We know that there are people and organizations that are much more experienced and equipped to help, but there's got to be a way to get help to those in need faster. We desperately wish we could just drive down to NO and pick people up, but that is not reality so far as we're able to see from the reports of roads being destroyed and such. Short of us jamming up I-59 and I-10 with caravans of our own vehicles with supplies we bought, what experiences/ideas do you all have?
First, allow me to post one way we are helping, and more people are needed, so if you read this and you can help, contact us. The Birm. Jeff. Civic Center is our local Superdome:
The Red Cross, is trying to line up 12 volunteers who could take an 8 hour shift and stay in the Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center South Exhibition Hall which is being used as an evacuation center. The volunteers will be passing out meals and beverages and helping to maintain a calm order by just being there to visit with.
My wife and I were talking last night about contacting the local hotels here to find out how we can help the displaced folks. We were envisioning things like:
- feeding people to help displace the immediate financial burden of eating out every night, or just something better than cheese and crackers
- helping with basic necessities like baby diapers, changes of clothes
-'adopting' people for time away from the hotel (giving them a chance to come to our house for a cookout/meal, kids to run and play in our yard, etc)
Please post any ideas you have.
I plan on cross-posting this thread to other boards I participate in.
Sincerely,
Kev
I'm especially calling upon the hard learned experiences of those of us who have lived through the aftermath of disaster man made or natural. I've lived through a few F5 tornadoes, and one thing I learned the hard way is that you don't recover quickly and you can use all the help you can get.
My wife and I are brainstorming on ways to help on a local level here in Birmingham. We know that there are people and organizations that are much more experienced and equipped to help, but there's got to be a way to get help to those in need faster. We desperately wish we could just drive down to NO and pick people up, but that is not reality so far as we're able to see from the reports of roads being destroyed and such. Short of us jamming up I-59 and I-10 with caravans of our own vehicles with supplies we bought, what experiences/ideas do you all have?
First, allow me to post one way we are helping, and more people are needed, so if you read this and you can help, contact us. The Birm. Jeff. Civic Center is our local Superdome:
The Red Cross, is trying to line up 12 volunteers who could take an 8 hour shift and stay in the Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center South Exhibition Hall which is being used as an evacuation center. The volunteers will be passing out meals and beverages and helping to maintain a calm order by just being there to visit with.
My wife and I were talking last night about contacting the local hotels here to find out how we can help the displaced folks. We were envisioning things like:
- feeding people to help displace the immediate financial burden of eating out every night, or just something better than cheese and crackers
- helping with basic necessities like baby diapers, changes of clothes
-'adopting' people for time away from the hotel (giving them a chance to come to our house for a cookout/meal, kids to run and play in our yard, etc)
Please post any ideas you have.
I plan on cross-posting this thread to other boards I participate in.
Sincerely,
Kev