Hurricane Disaster Direct Relief!

A year ago today...

...this blog, once known as Hurricane Katrina Direct Relief, was born.

The story of how this blog began is simple.  I started this blog to help those who wanted to help the communities affected by Hurricane Katrina.   So many people helped, and so many people were served.

I want to continue to serve those affected by disasters and crisis through this blog and other online venues.  We have an amazing communication tool in the the Internet.  It's the greatest bulletin board known.  Through blogs, forums, websites we have access to each other.   We can talk to one another, and tell and hear our stories.  It's an everyday miracle.

My next step is to develop an relief online network for disaster and crisis relief.  Are you interested in participating?  I'm looking for volunteers who...

• are already active online, via a blog or on a website forum/bulletin board,
• with a church organization, volunteer agency, or any group who would like to connect with the online community,
• somebody who just wants to help out, somehow.

We'll be talking about this relief online network at an upcoming gathering in Santa Cruz, California the weekend of September 15th.  If you'd like to attend, please email me at gracedb@yahoo.com.  If you can't come to this this meeting, contact me and let's start talking.

Many blessings to all,

Grace Davis
Blogger, Hurricane Disaster Direct Relief
Santa Cruz, California

 

 

Needed: Pharmaceutical samples for clinics in the disaster zone.

From Victoria, mom/boots-on-the-ground, calling all who can help with medicaion samples:

"Our coast doctors can use some pharmaceutical samples, so please help us out if you are a pharmaceutical sales representative or know a representative in this industry.  Please contact victoriajpowell@yahoo.com.

Also helpful - any source/clinic/physician's office that have samples available for a donation shipment.  A physician in Long Beach, MIssissippi told us her shelves are empty after she giving everything  she had to the fire department.  This is a great way for physicians and surgeons and all healthcare professionals who want to help us from a distance."

Meet Janine, blogging from the Midwest!

Hi all, I'm Janine from the Chicago area!

I'm also known to friends as Jazz, and have a little blog site called The journey. I do all this online writing as a hobby, and a way to learn more about myself and reach out and connect with other people. I met GraceD through her little slice of the Web, and found her to be just great - when she called out for help, how could I not raise my hand and offer?

D'Iberville, MS needs volunteers and supplies!

From Blogger Grace:

We have received word through various sources that D'Iberville, Mississippi was without food for 7 days before supplies and rescuers arrived late last week.  

"My kids put letters in the box...my son contributed toys from his room..."

Blogger Grace here. Those who know me would say I'm tough, bossy, tomboyish, a marathon runner, and a power yoga kind of mom.  I don't tear up easily, it at all. That has changed since working on this project.  Now I'm a big crybaby with each email from my fellow moms in Mississippi who report in with the status of the shelters, what the  fire stations need, and the work of the volunteers in the disaster zones. And the emails from our readers? Letting us know you made the effort to get a shipment out to our friends in need? Don't get me started on how many tissues I've used up in thinking about the tender generosity out there.

Here's such an email.  This is from Alison, a California mom, who rounded up her kids to help  put together a shipment box.

Help equip 100 firefighters!

Blogger Grace here.  Victoria emailed this report about her trip to the Gulf Coast this Tuesday and Wednesday.  Please read on for more details on what the firefighters desperately need in this devastated area.


"Had a GREAT meeting with the fire chiefs, and two guys from handsonusa.org, so nice, got some great pics...I drove Chief Farrar down and Chief Davis drove a red official fire truck F350 single axle very very fast. I eventually caught up and kept up, but they thought it was funny, I guess.  Firemen stuff. 

 

 

Meet Denise, our East Coast Blogger!

Dear Friends  I am pleased to introduce to all of you my blogfriend, Denise, who will be posting on this blog  from her home in Florida. 

Hello, hello, hellooooo out there! 

I'm Denise from The Daily Dose of Denise and I'm here to help Grace (and Victoria!!) spread the word so that we can all join together to bring help to those good people dealing with the aftermath of Katrina.  That's probably all you really want to know about me, but for those of you who just need to know more, I'll tell you:

A recommended link for volunteers!

Greetings from Grace!

One of our contacts has directed us to this organization, 'Hands On USA'.  They are accepting volunteers right now!  Click the text to access the site:

Hands On USA is now operational in the Mississippi Gulf Coast in response to Hurricane Katrina. We completed our first work order today.

Brief Intro

Friends, meet my friend Pam, a writer and artist who has graciously volunteered her blogging expertise and time to the Hurricane Katrina Direct Relief blog:

Greetings kind citizens!

I'll be pitching in to help Grace with her remarkable efforts to help connect the you, the good people who want to help out with the folks who desparately need what you have to offer. My role, just helping post the requests that Grace gets so many of, and to keep this site as up to date as possible.

This isn't about me, but if you're at ALL interested in who's posting to this blog, continue reading the extended post. Otherwise, please, just keep doing what you're doing. I'll try to help Grace use this blog to create the connections between the people who need the help and those generous souls who are offering aid.

Volunteer AJ's photos of Bay St. Louis, MS

  102_6136 
  Originally uploaded by Mayfairs.

Images tell the story in a way words cannot. 

To that end, we are thankful that Anthony Jackson, who we all know as 'AJ'', has shared his photos with us.  AJ took 175 pictures of the storm damage as well as photos in the shelters and portraits of the volunteers.  Click here for  a slide show of AJ's slides: Hurricane Katrina Trip 1

AJ is returning to Bay St. Louis.  Please go to this blog entry for details on how you can join AJ as a volunteer, and/or donate towards his travel expenses.