Helping Out Three (really, four) Families from Katrina

Baton Rouge, Louisiana is almost overwhelmed with the overnight influx of evacuees from Hurricane Katrina. The population of the area has swelled to 1 million, almost double what it was before the storm. The distaster shelters were full almost immediately and local residents have taken in people who are now homeless.

I've been in contact with a Baton Rouge resident, Dee, a single mother of three herself, who has taken in three families displaced by the hurricane/floods. She is doing everything she can for these families providing food and shelter and helping them register for disaster assistance with FEMA and connect with other disaster assistance/relief efforts in the city.

She's asked for "any type of assistance with these families, food, clothing, toys, school supplies, or any type of monetary donation, walmart gift cards, etc. We are in the process of trying to put these children in school and they have no supplies or clothes....our city is in such chaos and we don’t know how long it will be before we get assistance. I am depleting my funds trying to help them, but we will struggle together. I will not let them down."

I will be sending them school supplies tommorrow, and some personal care items, like soap.

If anyone would like to help in some way, let me know. I have spoken with her on the phone and for those protective mama bears out there, I don't believe this is a hoax.

I know that the best thing most of us can do right now is send money to the Red Cross. I think I saw somewhere that they have recieved about $100 million dollars in donations since Katrina. I know amazon.com alone has raised $8,756,234.80 and counting.

After talking to Dee, I have to do more. Tommorrow, I will be sending a care package to her and her three families. It's a drop in the proverbial bucket, but it still makes a difference.