Hi everyone,

I just had to say a few (hopefully) words about all the New Orleans, La. storm victims (Alzheimers and everyone - a lot of whom are sick or injured).

I live in the Houston area. They have reopened the Astrodome for the hurrican victims from New Orleans. I was listening to the radio while doing errands today, and people were saying they saw convoys of nice buses and school buses. They were coming into Houston on I10 and going to their new temporary home - the Astrodome. Not wonderful, but certainly better than they where they were! Air conditioning (around 95 here and muggy), food, water, cots and blankets and real working bathrooms and showers.

I could go on and on about these poor peoples plight!! And imagine the poor alzheimers patients and their caregivers. They probably have been set back, way back! There are big places being set up in Dallas and another town, too.

I would like to volunteer to work at the Dome, but even tho it is much more organized than the Super Dome, they still need a little more time, for someone like me to volunteer! Any ideas, we have lots of volunteers and need more ideas of things to do to help and what extras they will need. I guess I should just rest up for next week - whenever I find my niche to help.

Take care everyone. Thank God that we are all not dead or injured or out of a home to live in and a job to go to and all the necessities with which to live our lives!

Wannabe

Hi everyone,

I just had to say a few (hopefully) words about all the New Orleans, La. storm victims (Alzheimers and everyone - a lot of whom are sick or injured).

I live in the Houston area. They have reopened the Astrodome for the hurrican victims from New Orleans. I was listening to the radio while doing errands today, and people were saying they saw convoys of nice buses and school buses. They were coming into Houston on I10 and going to their new temporary home - the Astrodome. Not wonderful, but certainly better than they where they were! Air conditioning (around 95 here and muggy), food, water, cots and blankets and real working bathrooms and showers.

I could go on and on about these poor peoples plight!! And imagine the poor alzheimers patients and their caregivers. They probably have been set back, way back! There are big places being set up in Dallas and another town, too.

I would like to volunteer to work at the Dome, but even tho it is much more organized than the Super Dome, they still need a little more time, for someone like me to volunteer! Any ideas, we have lots of volunteers and need more ideas of things to do to help and what extras they will need. I guess I should just rest up for next week - whenever I find my niche to help.

Take care everyone. Thank God that we are all not dead or injured or out of a home to live in and a job to go to and all the necessities with which to live our lives!

Wannabe

Where're you from? I'm in Ct.. and I was really dying to go volunteer, but with some of the violence going on there.. am kinda debating against it. So instead, I just called everyone I knew. They're all bringing me food, blankets, etc. to drop off at our armory. I'm heading to the dollar store tommorrow. I'm also lookin for baby food, (powdered), I grabbed some bankets. And I'm gettin water, good, batteries, toiletries, etc. I plan on droppin more stuff off at the armory than I can carry :) Some of the stores here are collecting donations too.

Hi everyone,

I just had to say a few (hopefully) words about all the New Orleans, La. storm victims (Alzheimers and everyone - a lot of whom are sick or injured).

I live in the Houston area. They have reopened the Astrodome for the hurrican victims from New Orleans. I was listening to the radio while doing errands today, and people were saying they saw convoys of nice buses and school buses. They were coming into Houston on I10 and going to their new temporary home - the Astrodome. Not wonderful, but certainly better than they where they were! Air conditioning (around 95 here and muggy), food, water, cots and blankets and real working bathrooms and showers.

I could go on and on about these poor peoples plight!! And imagine the poor alzheimers patients and their caregivers. They probably have been set back, way back! There are big places being set up in Dallas and another town, too.

I would like to volunteer to work at the Dome, but even tho it is much more organized than the Super Dome, they still need a little more time, for someone like me to volunteer! Any ideas, we have lots of volunteers and need more ideas of things to do to help and what extras they will need. I guess I should just rest up for next week - whenever I find my niche to help.

Take care everyone. Thank God that we are all not dead or injured or out of a home to live in and a job to go to and all the necessities with which to live our lives!

Wannabe

I wouldn't suggest going into NO right now.. little bit dangerous.

MONEY is what they need most of all ..no collection or distribution centers have been set up to deal with food/clothing/blanket exchange ..send money to the Red Cross, the Salvation Army or another reputable agancy. I just heard that Australia has donated lots of money to the Red Cross ..thanks Sally and everyone over - or is it under - there.

Sri Lanka is also sending money. That lovely country was devastated by the Tsunami and now they are helping us. it humbles me.

Sadly, it is also a problem tied up with the war... People (National Guard) and funds which would have been used in the past couple of years to shore up the levees were redirected to Iraq. Enough said.

Love and prayers for all,

Martha

MONEY is what they need most of all ..no collection or distribution centers have been set up to deal with food/clothing/blanket exchange ..send money to the Red Cross. I just heard that Australia has donated lots of money to the Red Cross ..thanks Sally and everyone over - or is it under - there.

Sri Lanka is also sending money. That lovely country was devastated by the Tsunami and now they are helping us. it humbles me.

Sadly, it is also a political problem. People and funds which would have been used in the past couple of years to shore up the levees were redirected to Iraq. Enough said.

Love and prayers for all,

Martha

They have storage areas.. and these people are begging for food & water. And over here in the paper, they specifically food, water, balnkets, batteries. And I just saw the news and they're dying for food & water. And I just don't like sending money through organizations either.

Here in Indiana they say money is better - but it's great if they can process goods too ..anything, they have to be helped! Thanks for that update!

M

Hi you guys,

Since I live in the Houston area, we sometimes have all day news on our local stations talking about and raising money for the hurricane victims. This is some of what has been said: Some supplies are being sent to New Orleans for the people, the doctors and nurses and such. They need water, food, blankets, disinfectants (like hand squirt soap or those wash cloths with the stuff already in them) and medicines (I guess like aspirin, aleve and tylenol). Also, personal items: toothbrushes and paste, feminine products, and deodorant. There are websites and phone #s you can check out for more specific things to go to certain places.

I do know they want money, but some people just do not want to do just that. My husband and I may just go down and work at the Astrodome Tues or Wed. for the day. Do yall realize how long these people are going to be stuck there!!! They are now also in our Convention Center (have cancelled all conventions for 1 month). And they are in a place called Reliant Hall (which is in the same parking lot as the Astrodome).

For the Astrodome, Convention Center, and Reliant Hall: Blankets, Things to do (coloring books and colors, books, crosswords & such), Feminine Products and deodorant and clothes, soap). They are getting water and food and cots. And they are even signing up for FEMA vouchers to tide them over! They even have their own Postal Zip Code in the Astrodome. But they say it still is not too wonderful (very crowded) to be staying in these places. Churches and even everyday people are providing places for them to stay too.

Here, we have to just make ourselves turn off the tv or we will go nuts! My FIL is depressed from watching too much CNN. We try to get him to stop, but he just keeps watching! That is his favorite channel anyway.

I have not heard anything about any alzheimers people - they are probably just lumped in with all the hospital type people.

Yall do what you can for them. Take care of you too. Wannabe

My nephew lives just outside of New Orleans. He and his wife and son left town but we haven't heard anything from him since last Saturday. We don't know if his home is still there or not. My sister is pretty angry that he hasn't called her.

I pray for all the victims and hope that they will recover financially, emotionally and physically.

What a devistating tragedy.

I'm donating money and will also probably donate things like soap, deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste and toothbrushes and such.

Love, Barb

Hi all,

Just another update on the hurricane victims. I hope our moderator does not mind.

Our grocery stores, tv stations and radio stations are all having food and clothing drives. Plus one furniture place is collecting school supplies and clothing. The children can go to Houston Schools for at least 1 mo. without paperwork, after that ? This will give them something to do and maybe they will not be behind a year! My favorite grocery store, HEB, is collecting many items. They said the 1st 18 wheeler went to the Astrodome and the other 2 Houston big shelters. The 18 wheeler that came today, is going to Mississippi. So, that is where my donation went! I may give and do some more here and there, cause this is going to go on for a long, long time!

The Houston area churches are being signed up to take turns with their congregations to go and volunteer at the Astrodome, Reliant Hall and George R. Brown (convention ctr.). That will get them at least thru a month. I could go on and on about the blame game. But that is another big book!!!!! Poor, poor people... Makes you feel lucky.

My nieces husband is going to Alabama to have a crash course on how to be an insurance adjuster (correct name?). Then he will be sent to other states probably for several months?! Then the new construction begins. He may come back home and go out again, to do the remodeling. Probably not in New Orleans. Who knows, it may not be rebuilt and if it is, it will be many, many months from now!

Enuf for now. Thanks for listening. Wannabe

I was pleasantly surprised to hear that my church is sending their church bus down to Houston, filled with supplies, and bringng back 60+ people to be relocated and settled right here in this small Indiana town. That's hands on help. Only a drop in the bucket, but at least practical, person to person help.

Love,
Martha

I was pleasantly surprised to hear that my church is sending their church bus down to Houston, filled with supplies, and bringng back 60+ people to be relocated and settled right here in this small Indiana town. That's hands on help. Only a drop in the bucket, but at least practical, person to person help.

Love,
Martha

Our armories down here are lookin for volunteers to help sort and pack food & stuff, they have so much. And some bus drivers have set themselves up in Wal-Mart parking lots, lettin people load stuff onto the busses.. then they're gonna take a trip. They said people were waiting out in the parking lot before they even got there :) I went to the dollar store last night.. loaded up on toothbrushes, toothpase, snacks, shampoos.. stuff like that. 'm toying with the idea of organizing a walkathon to raise money..

Hi Martha and Erika,

That is so great what your cities/towns are doing! Houston just cannot handle anymore people. We are full up! That is really neat that they would take people back to get more settled in Indiana. Then they could decide if they wanted to live in your state or go back to Louisiana. The dollar store is a good idea too. I might go to one of our many dollar stores and then take my things to one of the collections sites around here. There are still tons of people collecting what people bring in and then taking it to a more central location and then on to wherever it is needed from there.

They say that everything and everyone is/are getting more settled in. Most have computer access and phone access. They are all trying to find their families now.

Yall take care. Wannabe

Hi Martha and Erika,

That is so great what your cities/towns are doing! Houston just cannot handle anymore people. We are full up! That is really neat that they would take people back to get more settled in Indiana. Then they could decide if they wanted to live in your state or go back to Louisiana. The dollar store is a good idea too. I might go to one of our many dollar stores and then take my things to one of the collections sites around here. There are still tons of people collecting what people bring in and then taking it to a more central location and then on to wherever it is needed from there.

They say that everything and everyone is/are getting more settled in. Most have computer access and phone access. They are all trying to find their families now.

Yall take care. Wannabe

Any ideas on fundraisers?

Hi Erika,

The only kind of fundraisers that I hear about in Texas are music concerts. Bands join other bands and play for free and people pay to get in and all the $ goes to the good of the hurricane survivors that need things.

Oh yeah, one of the things that the Cheerleaders used to do for $ was: sell Root Beer floats! You get the grocery store to give you the root beer for free and get the ice cream co. to give you the ice cream for free. Be sure and tell them what it is for. Then all you have to do is have napkins and plastic cups - and of course card tables and ice chests!

I will check our newspapers tomorrow and see if anyone is doing other things. Since we are so close to it, most people are just feeding them and giving $, food and water, blankets, and personal goods. Also things for the kids to do. Probably the other ladies and gents can give you some good ideas!

Good Luck. Wannabe

I've decided I think I'm gonna try to throw a party. Maybe a Mardi gras themed halloween party.. or somethin :) If I can get the local businesses to help out..