Monday, 9/12/05
Greetings to all:
September 11th started at staff HQ with a moving service of reflection of 9/11/05. There were about a dozen FDNY with us as a color guard. Cheers for them. Words of reflection from the RC chaplain: "Be Still and know that I am God'. ending with the Star Spangled Banner.
Off to Biloxi yesterday. Yesterday I called "Cleaning Day". Seems like the immediate food, water needs are being met and people want to clean, clean, clean. We distributed dozens of bottles of clorox to a poor neighborhood in Biloxi which was hit with 6-8 feet of water. These are small homes that were built in the early 20th century by the shrimp fisherman. Note: don't eat shrimp from the gulf for awhile.
Wonderful people who really appreciated our help. Clorox, cots, portable radios and batteries. Although they still have their homes, the casino influence will most probably drive these folks away. Many have lived here for generations. As they are rebuilt and the flood plain zone is rewritten they'll have to raise their homes onto p;ilings which they won't be able to afford. The developers will dri ve the prices too high. Too bad. A historical area.
Many more stories of storm survivors.
The most moving was Mrs. Willie Ruth Hope. She was sitting in her driveway in tears. Her son died last week of a heart attack working at the hospital. Miss Hope turned 83 on 9/1/05 and is a wonderful woman. Spent about an hour chatting with her. A great philosophy.
She's a descendent of slaves, her grandmother was "half-white" as she said. Miss Hope said, "Bob, let me ask you something. Was that slaveowners wife simple or what?"
Miss Hope was born in Mt. Clement, MI and eventually went to Michigan State, got a teachers job and followed her husband around the world in the military.
The people of Reynolds Street were essentially living out of their homes but survivors. Many stories of the water rising in seconds to 4-6 feet and they had to move to the upstairs apartments. One story of a disabled man sitting in a wheelchair with water up to his neck and the young man two doors up walking through the water and carrying him upstairs to save him. There were a lot of heroes. Also stories of elderly women who didn't survive in their homes.
This morning were loaded with cots to take to them. Probably not RC policy to give cots to people in their homes but they do no one any good in a warehouse. We loaded them last night.
Had a great evening at the RC warehouse with about 20 of the warehouse volunteers. Folks from Finland, Spain, England and the Netherlands working their. The gent from England who is an International Relief Worker in logistics said we may not be the most organized operation but he's never seen such a volunteer spirit as in America. I believe deToqueville observed the same thing in 1776.
Today the President will be in Biloxi and Gulfport. I hope he doesn't get in the way of the relief. Traffic will be bad.
We've made friends with the construction managers from Waffle House. They have let Bob and I stay in one of their motorhomes the last two nights. Grill out, showers and a bed! Eric and Don are great guys. Go tomorrow morning and have breakfast at a Waffle House!
Miss all of you.
Bob
in Biloxi
Greetings to all:
September 11th started at staff HQ with a moving service of reflection of 9/11/05. There were about a dozen FDNY with us as a color guard. Cheers for them. Words of reflection from the RC chaplain: "Be Still and know that I am God'. ending with the Star Spangled Banner.
Off to Biloxi yesterday. Yesterday I called "Cleaning Day". Seems like the immediate food, water needs are being met and people want to clean, clean, clean. We distributed dozens of bottles of clorox to a poor neighborhood in Biloxi which was hit with 6-8 feet of water. These are small homes that were built in the early 20th century by the shrimp fisherman. Note: don't eat shrimp from the gulf for awhile.
Wonderful people who really appreciated our help. Clorox, cots, portable radios and batteries. Although they still have their homes, the casino influence will most probably drive these folks away. Many have lived here for generations. As they are rebuilt and the flood plain zone is rewritten they'll have to raise their homes onto p;ilings which they won't be able to afford. The developers will dri ve the prices too high. Too bad. A historical area.
Many more stories of storm survivors.
The most moving was Mrs. Willie Ruth Hope. She was sitting in her driveway in tears. Her son died last week of a heart attack working at the hospital. Miss Hope turned 83 on 9/1/05 and is a wonderful woman. Spent about an hour chatting with her. A great philosophy.
She's a descendent of slaves, her grandmother was "half-white" as she said. Miss Hope said, "Bob, let me ask you something. Was that slaveowners wife simple or what?"
Miss Hope was born in Mt. Clement, MI and eventually went to Michigan State, got a teachers job and followed her husband around the world in the military.
The people of Reynolds Street were essentially living out of their homes but survivors. Many stories of the water rising in seconds to 4-6 feet and they had to move to the upstairs apartments. One story of a disabled man sitting in a wheelchair with water up to his neck and the young man two doors up walking through the water and carrying him upstairs to save him. There were a lot of heroes. Also stories of elderly women who didn't survive in their homes.
This morning were loaded with cots to take to them. Probably not RC policy to give cots to people in their homes but they do no one any good in a warehouse. We loaded them last night.
Had a great evening at the RC warehouse with about 20 of the warehouse volunteers. Folks from Finland, Spain, England and the Netherlands working their. The gent from England who is an International Relief Worker in logistics said we may not be the most organized operation but he's never seen such a volunteer spirit as in America. I believe deToqueville observed the same thing in 1776.
Today the President will be in Biloxi and Gulfport. I hope he doesn't get in the way of the relief. Traffic will be bad.
We've made friends with the construction managers from Waffle House. They have let Bob and I stay in one of their motorhomes the last two nights. Grill out, showers and a bed! Eric and Don are great guys. Go tomorrow morning and have breakfast at a Waffle House!
Miss all of you.
Bob
in Biloxi
posted by Bob Still at 10:44 AM
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