I've spent the last couple of days in Picayune, MS helping my in-laws who live there and it's nice to be home. I was removed from virtually all communications while my wife is nine-months pregnant and that combined with the situation was pretty damn stressful. My father-in-law now has a 10KW diesel engine that my father loaned him so he's doing fine. However, as fortunate as my family is, its REALLY bad throughout that entire area and a LOT of people need help badly.
I'm just now hearing some of the political BS, since the only source of news that we had (even the cell-phones don't work) was the car radio and I refuse to dignify such finger-pointing by even discussing it while there are STILL people dying out there.
I don't want to get on a soapbox so I'm going to end with this. There is a large segment of the refugees who require a lot of assistance. That segment is primarily working-class/middle-class people who heeded the evacuation and are now running out of money staying at their hotels. These people are receiving NO help from the Red Cross or from any government level because you must be at a shelter to do so. Since the majority of the shelters are jam-packed these people have no avenue of support except through local communities. I'm probably going to head to Alexandria, LA this week to help my mother organize the church diocese up there so that support for this group can be begun.
Regardless, please help in any way that you can. Long after politicians have moved onto some new point to quibble about many New Orleans and residents of the surrounding areas will still be reeling from the hurricane's impact.
PS I also have a picture, I apologize because the content and quality isn't that great of an area with MINOR damage. The camera was only good for a few shots.
http://img359.imageshack.us/my.php?image=brokentree2bd.jpg
I'm just now hearing some of the political BS, since the only source of news that we had (even the cell-phones don't work) was the car radio and I refuse to dignify such finger-pointing by even discussing it while there are STILL people dying out there.
I don't want to get on a soapbox so I'm going to end with this. There is a large segment of the refugees who require a lot of assistance. That segment is primarily working-class/middle-class people who heeded the evacuation and are now running out of money staying at their hotels. These people are receiving NO help from the Red Cross or from any government level because you must be at a shelter to do so. Since the majority of the shelters are jam-packed these people have no avenue of support except through local communities. I'm probably going to head to Alexandria, LA this week to help my mother organize the church diocese up there so that support for this group can be begun.
Regardless, please help in any way that you can. Long after politicians have moved onto some new point to quibble about many New Orleans and residents of the surrounding areas will still be reeling from the hurricane's impact.
PS I also have a picture, I apologize because the content and quality isn't that great of an area with MINOR damage. The camera was only good for a few shots.
http://img359.imageshack.us/my.php?image=brokentree2bd.jpg
