The Aftermath

It's Sunday and Rita is mostly out of the news....except for the clean-up. At church today we found out that the second load of supplies is now leaving for Lake Shore Baptist Church in Mississippi. My son had established an "online" relationship with the pastor well before Katrina hit....and saw the devastation on his website blog, "elbourne.org". Just go look at the pictures and read the stories! Our pastor is planning to take the next load sometime next week....then several others are planning a long weekend trip Oct. 15-17. THAT'S WHEN I GET TO GO!!! The ladies are going to go and see what we can do to help the women organize the basics of life. You would think they no longer need basics (toothpaste, etc)...but they do! We are still collecting the following supplies and would love for you to join us in giving to these dear people:
Bottled Water/jugs of water
bleach for purifying the water
suntan lotion
bug spray or wipes
Purell pumps and individual packets
toothbrushes
toothpaste
Hair brushes/combs
Men and women's disposable shavers
Deodorant
soap
feminine products
wash cloths
towels
baby wipes
diapers
Batteries
pillows
ziploc bags/gallon for dividing supplies
Gator-aide powdered
baby food
packaged meats/cold cuts
peanut butter
jelly
Vienna sausage
Spam
Tylenol
Band-Aids
alcohol
hydrogen peroxide

We are led to believe (by the media) that FEMA is helping....but the red tape is miles long (one form is 60 pages long!)...and in order to receive a trailer to live in you must already have electricity, water & sewage! We are talking.....these people are living in TENTS in their front yards!! Water, electricity and sewage would be like having a mansion! So, as you are able, please join us in reaching out to them in any way you can!

CNN featured Lakeshore MS Tuesday night in a piece called “Forgotten Town.” Gary Tuchman narrates:

You’ve probably never heard of the tiny town of Lakeshore Mississippi, but you are unlikely to forget about it now; because no place was hit harder by hurricane Katrina. The homes in this coastal town have simply been blown away. Block after block of nothingness. Piles of rubble covering the memories of family lives…

People from here are still missing. Prayers for them are being offered behind a steeple that was recovered from a decimated church.

Tuchman interviews a few folks and shows just a small glimpse of the devastation. The camera pans across some of the destruction and then to our blue tarp make-shift shelter and our salvaged steeple. You can watch the video on the CNN web site.