First Time with the Red Cross

[Accountable]

I spent last night at the Katrina evacuation shelter at the old Kelly Air Force Base. The shelter was a pair of huge warehouses, at least a quarter-mile long. There was a dining area, medical area, and admin/information area. Large screen TVs played cable news. Smaller TVs with VCRs were scattered here and there with video tapes – movies & kiddie cartoons. Two TV projectors using cinderblock walls for screens also showed constant reminders of flood-ravaged New Orleans. Thousands of cots aligned very closely, typically rearranged by the residents into family clusters. Sorry, no pics. It would only have been rows of cots & a few sleepy people. I did meet a few people, though.



I met a young lady 5’4 and about 85 pounds. She said this is the first time she can remember going a week clean and sober. I looked her in the eye with a congratulatory smile and asked, “How does it feel?” Her answer, “Last week would have been better stoned.” Then I saw a mischievous glint in her eye.



I met a 74-year old retired Army Command Sergeant Major who said Katrina was worse than he’d remembered Viet Nam. “In Viet Nam, you had an enemy you could shoot!” We sat for over an hour as he told me story after story. He wasn’t wearing dentures so I could hardly understand a word, but that wasn’t the point. It was great.



I met a man who was glued to the TV watching news of New Orleans. He had been one of the ones you heard about that refused to leave. He described his days of sitting in his house watching his furniture slowly falling apart from soaking in fetid water. He told me he saw a body float by his window. That convinced him it was time to go.



I met a woman who was at the end of her rope. Her elderly mother woke up at 3am insisting that it was 6. She knew it was 6 because she wakes up at 6. No clock would convince her otherwise because nothing has worked right since the storm. It was 6am and that’s that! I tried consoling her with a standard “it’ll get better.” “No, you don’t understand. She wants her morning bath now. She’s in a wheelchair & I have to get her to the bathroom sink for a sponge bath. By the time I finish that, she will just be getting started.” Following her gesture, I noticed that she also had a 4-yar-old daughter, currently sleeping soundly – recharging her batteries. The woman looked at me and said “between the two of ’em, I’m not getting any sleep at all!” I was glad to see that after the bath, Mom & Grandma were both sound asleep for at least 2 more hours.



I met a young man who showed up asking for his parents. All the evacuees aged 65+ were in the front area (though I discovered they’d missed a few) so we quickly found them. I forgot to ask where he’d driven from, but he’d just gotten into town & found a place they could stay. I helped them gather their things while the mother did the outprocessing paperwork. I got the hug that was meant for all the thousands that helped them. I felt inadequate but didn’t let it show.



I met a young woman who came to find her father. He was only in his late 50’s so we could not easily find him. It was around 3am and we couldn’t just grab a bullhorn and start calling his name. The daughter left in tears; she would have to return after 7.



At 5am, I realized the primary problem with having geriatric disaster victims. Remember this was a warehouse. There were only 2 restrooms. The ladies room only had 1 toilet. Most had to use porta-potties located well outside – too far for the old folks. But in the morning, even the restrooms proved too far for many, what with getting oriented as to where this was, where the walker, cane, or wheelchair was, and maneuvering around all the cots. I was glad to do whatever I could to save their dignity, clean the mess, get fresh clothes, whisk them to the restroom as their neighbors politely found sudden interest in other areas.



Tomorrow I work noon until 6pm.

[lady cop]

ACC...i hope that the old adage "what goes around comes around" proves true. many jewels in your crown.

[minks]

Most Admirable Acc. Look after yourself as well in all this.

[BabyRider]

Damn.



:yh_worshp

[abbey]

...^.........^

...ME......YOU.

Kudos to you ACC XXXX

[along-for-the-ride]

Thank you for sharing.

My heart goes out to those folks.

"How wonderful life is while you're in the world":)

[SweetDarlin]

Wow!

What they said and more. You are doing a great thing there sir... a very great thing indeed.

[Accountable]

Thanks :yh_blush Any of you would do the same. I mean, they're right here in town. And I'm not exactly gainfully employed. :-2

[Jives]

Look up the word "hero" in the dictionary...you'll see ACC's picture!:D

Seriously, though, that's really amazing. The thanks of a Nation go out to all who help us in this hour of need, and your name is on that list, ACC.

(I'd put that "love" smilie here, but it would seem too gay.):o

[Bez]

Accountable wrote: Thanks :yh_blush Any of you would do the same. I mean, they're right here in town. And I'm not exactly gainfully employed. :-2


You are now...gainfully employed I mean....you're a TOP guy Acc....we're all talk and you're all action....well done...look forward to your daily bulletin...

[chonsigirl]

You are gainfully employed by the angels in heaven, doing their work on Earth.

We are very proud of you AC, and thank you so much for sharing. If you go gain, tell us all!

[Betty Boop]

I agree with all the rest, wonderful work AC, a Hero for sure! :yh_clap :yh_worshp

[Nomad]

Im proud to know you my friend ! :-6

[hotsauce]

this won't seem gay. :-4 YOU ROCK!

[valerie]

How wonderful to get to read those stories from you.



Thank you. Really.



:yh_clap

[mominiowa]

I wish I could bring people to my house....I just wish we could do more here... I have one thing to say to you.....:yh_clap :yh_hugs ACC................



:-4 WOW........:-4

[gmc]

:yh_worshp :yh_worshp

[pantsonfire321@aol.com]

Acc you are a good man .

[Raven]

Well done indeed! Kick the tires and lite the fires......YOU THE MAN!:yh_love

You could well be the only touch of Jesus some of those people will ever know. Well done!:yh_hugs

[PurpleChicken]

Nice work AC!! Always nice to see/hear people jumping into action in others' time of need. :yh_clap

Thanks for sharing your story too. Love to hear more....

[Accountable]

Yesterday I worked the noon to 6pm shift. As I got out of my truck, I passed a taxi that a family was loading into. “Found a place to stay?” The man who was putting the suitcase in the trunk turned, saw my name tag, and hugged me thanking me for all the help.



I walked in smiling and greeting people, and entered the office where I’d signed in the day before. No one was inside, but as soon as I poked my head in I heard a voice behind me, “May I help you, sir?” The tone was unmistakable. Challenge. I had invaded someone’s territory. I turned to see a great fat man with a volunteer nametag on his chest. I shouldn’t call him fat, as I’m pretty sure he was just over-inflated with self-importance. I tried to just show friendliness in my smile, not the amusement I felt, and told him I was signing in. “Sign-in in D Bay,” he honestly looked down his nose at me! As far as I know, he never emerged from the office. No clue what he did, nor any curiosity about it.



At the sign-in table, 6 or 8 volunteers milled about waiting to be told what to do. It’s amazing how quickly one can get comfortable with the processes here, as I did. I asked what everyone was doing. One said they were told to wait for instructions. Told by whom? No one had an answer to that. Ah bureaucracy! That sweet smell of indecision was in the air. I told them I was going to help the old people. We were very close to the stockpile of goodies that 3 or 4 people were trying to organize. I suggested that if they want to be useful until they receive instruction, they might want to help there. When I walked away, no one had moved.



The place was naturally a lot more active in the daytime. News crews were tinkering with cameras and sound equipment while reporters primped their over-primped heads. One section of floor was marked off with orange safety fencing common in construction, for kids to throw football and play basketball. Another was set up with coloring books and a mountain of toys for younger kids. A hairdresser school had set up in an area and the students were giving free shampoos & styles. The line was endless.



A gentleman in his 30’s called to me. He wanted to know if the San Antonio River Walk was as nice as people say. He wanted to take his wife out for the day and have a romantic dinner. I assured him that there is no more romantic place in Texas than the River Walk. In our conversation, he said that he’d lost his sister during the evac, but that she’d located them just this morning through the internet. I’d been toying with the idea of taking pics with family email addresses and emailing the pics to family, hoping to reunite them. He pointed out that it would be very limited help, since most people don’t remember email addresses. We both laughed about our respective address lists safely tucked away on our hard drives so we don’t have to remember them. Just like speed dial.



I filled most of my day flirting with old ladies and joking with old men.



I met a young volunteer who was a groupie for a Christian Punk band. She told me of some kids she played with for hours a couple of days ago, and that she wanted to find them again. “Do you think they would let me bring them Happy Meals? I want to do something for them, but I don’t want to break the rules.” “I don’t think you’re breaking any rules, but what will the other kids think?” I replied. “Yes, you’re right. Do you think I would be allowed to take them out, like to a park or something?” “Allowed by who?” “FEMA or Red Cross, whoever’s in charge of stuff like that.” “We have orphans here?” I was really concerned about this. “No. Why?” She asked.



I saw a large coach bus (like the Greyhound) filling with people. The driver said he was going to the addiction clinic. Is it methodone?



A lady came in looking for her husband and daughter. She’d been rushed to a hospital during evac, and was now released. We didn’t have the man listed in our database. She was sure he was here because she talked to him on his cell phone. I took her through the entire building, holding a hastily made sign of his name over my head and calling out occasionally. We couldn’t find them. Since people were starting to line up for dinner, I suggested she stay in a strategic place and look for her family. Soon after, a volunteer located them. They were in town, but in a different facility. We never found her to let her know.



I saw a volunteer who’d been here since the first day, who was standing with a crowd of men around him, calling out names like roll call. He had contacted his boss, a local builder I think, and had secured almost 30 jobs!

[PurpleChicken]

Once again, great work AC. Really admire you for your contribution.

As sad as it is, it must be a great feeling when even the smallest thing you do gives someone else a huge buzz. Bet you're emotionally exhausted though!

Keep up the great work!

[chrisb84uk]

AC u are a real hero, both in words and actions. U my friend deserve a medal for all the effort and kind work that you have put in. WELL DONE!!

[Peg]

I met a young woman who came to find her father. He was only in his late 50’s so we could not easily find him. It was around 3am and we couldn’t just grab a bullhorn and start calling his name. The daughter left in tears; she would have to return after 7.




Do you know if she ever found him?

[Accountable]

Peg wrote: Do you know if she ever found him?
No. The shifts have no overlap or followup. It's a major frustration.

[abbey]

I LOVE YOU ACC :-4

[Accountable]

abbey wrote: I LOVE YOU ACC :-4
Careful with that. I can use it against you later.

[Accountable]

Thursday: Carpenters are busily building sheds on 4 or 5 loading docks to house more permanent showers and, presumably, toilets. Right now they’re using decontamination tents and porta-johns. I have mixed feelings. How many people do they expect to stay in this warehouse sleeping on cots, and for how long?



I met a new chaplain from the Texas National Guard. He performed five weddings today, right here in the warehouse!



There’s a crotchety old man I admit I avoided speaking to. He had a need to tell his story to whomever would come within his grasp (yeh, he’d grab you!). The story was very loud and very long, complete with grand gestures. It was amusement for anyone watching and torture for the graspee. Today a lady approached him and asked if he recognized her; he didn’t. She was his niece; they hadn’t seen each other in many years. She heard he was here and came to take him home. His glee was just as loud, long, and full of gestures, but not torture by any means. A news crew came to see what the hubbub was about; the man was more than willing to tell them.



Miss Ruby has a wall she keeps up for strangers which only reveals a quiet old lady with a pleasant nature but not very talkative. She gave me a glance behind the wall. She is an 85-year-old firecracker! She worked as a nurse’s aide for 37 years and retired at 70. Her co-workers gave a plaque to her with “the most wonderful words, I wish I could show you,” that hangs on the wall in her living room. She has a lot of pins for awards and longevity she keeps with her family photos upstairs. The flood can have the rest. She only wants these reminders. She spends her retirement taking care of old folks. One 105-year-old didn’t want to leave until Miss Ruby convinced her.



Miss Ruby did not stay at the Superdome or convention center. She knew better. She walked, slept 2 nights under an overpass (now her back hurts too much to walk), and hitched a ride in the back of a flatbed truck with armed men in the cab. She stayed in the airport – the one Oprah Winfrey’s Dr. Oz visited on her show. She described to me how she made a wrong turn trying to find a phone. She told me what she saw, constantly apologizing but unable to stop once started. She saw what the cameras were not allowed to show, and she regurgitated the details.

Her family is to pick her up Saturday. She expects to continue helping old people until she drops dead. She hates sitting around.



I met a lady who was not rescued. She came to pick up her brother. She had left in her car but had no money. She ran out of gas in Lake Charles. Strangers took her in and, with the help of their church, fed her, refueled the car, and gave her a place to sleep. They also helped her use the internet to find her brother, who’d been evacuated to San Antonio. She ran out of gas again when she got here. Another stranger took her in, fed her, and brought her to the shelter. They wanted to go to another sister’s house in Pasadena, CA. The Salvation Army has an agreement with Greyhound to take evacuees anywhere in the US. No one has a program go give gas money. I took her to talk to the Red Cross shelter manager, the chaplain, a Lutheran church group, and finally the Salvation Army with no luck. After some time & brainstorming, a Salvation Army officer said, “A member of my church gave me this, he told me to give it to someone that needs it.” With that, he laid $100 in her hand and swore her to secrecy. He gave her his card and wrote a note on the back to give the bearer food and gas money, and signed it. The officer was a man of some power in the western region, and any Salvation Army west from El Paso to the coast would obey that card.



It was a very good day.

[PurpleChicken]

Thanks AC - another heartwarmer! Sounds like a great day. Miss Ruby certainly sounds like a hoot!!

[Bez]

ACC...I read your journals everyday. I am a little tired of some of the stuff that is being discussed and reported here. The way you write is great..the content is both heartwarming and heartbreaking. Thanks for taking the time to keep us in touch with the real stories...take care...stay safe...

[pina]

!WOW! Acc I think I love you even more. :-4 I've been catching up on some posts and this is by far the best read. Your my... HERO... helping all these people must be so rewarding and what better job could you have asked for. :-6

[Accountable]

pina wrote: !WOW! Acc I think I love you even more. :-4 I've been catching up on some posts and this is by far the best read. Your my... HERO... helping all these people must be so rewarding and what better job could you have asked for. :-6
One with a paycheck?



I'm sorry. I couldn't resist. I must really be tired.

[pina]

Accountable wrote: One with a paycheck?



I'm sorry. I couldn't resist. I must really be tired.


:yh_rotfl I would offer to pay you for what your doing if only I could afford it.

[mominiowa]

ACC - Please don't stop writing until you have finished your work there.. You make me smile and make me think of things in a different light.. A little girl started school here in a small town- 5th grade..Her family lost everything - she is the only child of color in the whole school but she is proud to be alive and the kids here have taken her and are amazed that she is here with them...they have given her clothes and toys and school supplies.. She told the paper their story and the story of how her mom saved 30 people by just walking the right way after being lost for hours....At 12 years old she will never forget and she never wants to return. She wonders where her friends are...but thats it- she never wants to be by the water again she said...Her uncle and grandpa drove down on Thursday of last week..Drove past people and police..they were told to stop and her uncle said NO - we are going to find my sister...and they did.. They loaded them up with nothing but the clothes on their back which they threw away at the closet WalMart 3 hours down the road and now they are here and her mom is looking for a job at Offut Air force Base......Never stop telling the good stories - but never fear that we will not listen to your stressful ones too......We love ya ACC!:-4

[Accountable]

Friday noon: There’s a big job fair set up across from our information/sign-in area. They were there all day. I didn’t go in to speak to anyone, but it appeared to be almost exclusively recruiting agencies and temp agencies.





When I got to my area (section A, the old folks) I immediately noticed several empty beds, completely empty with no blankets or personal belongings. One was Joe’s (a lot of these old guys are named Joe). This Joe was an arthritic gent who couldn’t stand up from the cot on his own. I would grab the back of his jeans and lend him my strength to stand & move to the wheel chair, then wheel him to the rest room. He’d always been on his own, even though the arthritis had ruined his hands, knees, and hips. His French Quarter apartment had a higher toilet seat & bed, and the bathtub had a bench and handles so he could maneuver himself. He felt humiliated that he needed my help, and often cried because of the overwhelming kindness of us strangers. A local assistance agency had located an apartment for him. Everybody sees these victories as signs of hope for themselves. I’ll miss him.





SBC Communications has set up an internet and telephone area. It has been there since Tuesday or Wednesday, but I only found out yesterday afternoon. I decided to help find my new friends’ family. Maybe we could empty section A. Leon wanted me to find his daughter. She lived outside the hurricane area, but he didn’t have his address book with him. He only knew she worked at a casino on the Mississippi/Tennessee border. I worked 2 solid hours first finding out what town she might be in (Tunica or Robinson), then which casino (there are eight). The casinos varied in their helpfulness, from “we don’t give out personal information about our employees” to full, yet ultimately unsuccessful, assistance. If anyone knows or can find Shirley Kiley, PM me please.



Desmond wanted me to find his sister and brother. He knows they got out of New Orleans to Metarie; they got separated there. Easy, or so I thought. I went to www.katrinasafe.com which was the official site for uniting family members. I entered Stella Dolby – nothing. I entered Patrick French – nothing. I entered French with no first name and discovered that Desmond wasn’t listed either. Then I tried Leon’s name – again nothing! I cursed the lazy volunteers (oxymoron?) who aren’t properly entering information and did it myself for these two men.



The chaplain performed 5 more weddings today. A karaoke DJ was set up nearby and provided the music. The reception was lovely. The wedding cake looked suspiciously like bran muffins. Everyone was singing, dancing, and laughing. I noticed that I actually felt physically lighter when I passed through the area, then heavier again as I got farther away. An idea hit me like a bolt.



I went to the communications area and grabbed a Yellow Pages book. In my conversation with the SBC representative, I explained my idea: New Orleans is the birthplace of jazz. We have something like 4000 people here from New Orleans. Surely there are some musicians among them. San Antonio is practically giddy with the spirit of giving. Surely I could find a music store willing to lend some instruments. If I could find these two surelys and get them together, we could have live jam sessions! Imagine what that could do for morale.



Here’s where it gets weird. The SBC rep thought it was an idea worth trying. I opened the Yellow Pages to Musical Instrument Rental. The rep immediately pointed to one of the larger advertisements and said, “I see their commercials on TV all the time. Call them.” I noted that they were a retail store and probably didn’t have used instruments, but what the heck? The girl who answered the phone was the manager’s daughter. The manager and owner were in a meeting and would not be out until 6pm (which is when I’m going home). First verifying that the daughter was skilled at batting her eyes, and had Daddy wrapped around her finger, I explained my idea. She didn’t know if they would go for it or not, but promised to be my agent. I gave her my cell phone number. The next step was to find musicians.



Having no empirical statistical data to narrow my search, I started in the smoking area. No musicians there; no one knew of musicians; but all agreed it was a fine idea and would spread the word. Anyone interested in forming a jam session was to find the red headed volunteer man. Then I went back inside to continue hunting.



One man I spoke to said he was too concerned about finding his family to enjoy music. He hadn’t heard about the internet search. I told him we could find out where they were in a few seconds. I saw it in his face: we could also find out that they hadn’t made it in the same timeframe. He said he couldn’t take any bad news today. I promised I would check for him but would not say anything good or bad until tomorrow. He reluctantly agreed and gave me his information. I didn’t find anyone, not even him. I was livid. I could barely contain myself as I called the nearest rep over.



Long story short, evacuees come into a shelter and register at the Red Cross table, and then register with FEMA. The first only records that they are in the building, the second starts the federal money process. NEITHER GETS THEM ON THE INTERNET! Everyone must individually register with KatrinaSafe or they cannot be found there! If anyone is near a shelter, tell them the evacuees probably don’t know this. People are entering names into Katrinasafe’s search engine and not finding their loved ones. Many are assuming they have not been found, that they are dead. People are being needlessly devastated because of inaccurate information. There was nothing I could do today; it was the end of my shift. But tomorrow…



On my way to sign out, I saw a familiar face I knew was important but took some effort to pull the reason from my foggy brain. I’d met hundreds of people these last few days and had thousands of new faces to sift through. It was the man who wanted to take his wife to the River Walk. Was it only yesterday? The plan had been a great success. They almost felt like they were on vacation, and were almost successful in putting the hurricane out of their minds for a little while. The stress of the situation was understandably putting a great strain on their relationship; the date went a long way toward mending that. He’d just come back from a day of work. He’d made $300. They were going to stay in San Antonio and try to get his landscaping business started again. I wish him luck. He said I am on his prayer list too.



My cell phone rang just before I got home. It was the manager of the music store. Their meeting was about how they could help the evacuees. They had decided that they could donate some guitars and maybe a few keyboards, hoping that somebody would be able to use them. The only problem to solve was to find out whom to contact to make it happen. Then he came out of the meeting and his daughter gave him my message. I told you it was weird. I will call him Saturday afternoon to set up the logistics.

[chonsigirl]

AC. you are the greatest! What a great idea to get them some instruments, in between running around doing all that extra help. Please keep us informed of all your generous work and time, and how the jam session turns out. That should be broadcast!

[Accountable]

Saturday: I received a care package from a fellow ForumGardener Friday afternoon. It was full of goodies for the evacuees: combs, lipsticks & rouge, colognes, and creams for the adults; candy, gum, & hair decoration for the kids. I don’t want to embarrass the giver by revealing her name, because I’m pretty sure Flopstock wanted to keep anonymous.



My beloved wife came with me to the shelter. She helped pass out the gifts while I chatted up the ladies. She and Miss Ruby really hit it off and chatted for quite awhile. Later, she pitched in at the donation area. It’s set up almost like a small department store, without the cashier. Donations flow into one area where it’s sorted & folded, then volunteers display them on tables and treat their customers as if it were Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.



I spent almost my entire day on Desmond French. I’m pretty sure I mentioned him before. He’s looking for his brother and sister. This disconnection between the Red Cross, FEMA, and the different shelters is appalling. I called the Astrodome to ask if they were registered there. I heard the lady on the other end of the phone mumbling things like “Not there. Let’s try this one.” I asked if she had more than one list or something, as a joke. She told me they didn’t register the thousands of evacuees that flooded the Astrodome until the third or fourth day, and then they only encouraged people to register with one of the online search sites that I have access to here! Gimme somebody to choke!



Long story short, after literally hours of phone calls and internet searching, I found the sister. Her daughter had already found her and they were staying together with a distant relative near Houston. They were so happy to know I had Desmond because he is mildly retarded and gets lost easily. (how stupid am I that I hadn’t noticed?) I was using my cell phone when I contacted them, so I ran to give Desmond a chance to say hello. His eyes welled up with tears and he said, “Hello? I’m taking my medicine.” He repeated the second statement several times over the next few minutes as His family passed their phone from person to person. He handed the phone to me to speak to his niece. My job wasn’t finished.



Desmond gets lost. That means he needs an escort. The Salvation Army can provide one-way travel, but not round trips, so they could not come to get him. Could I help? Of course I promised we’d figure it out.



FEMA still had money for special circumstances; the old Master Sergeant in me came forth, very comfortable dealing with bureaucracies and bureaucrats looking for a reason to go back to their coffee & conversation. I explained exactly how and why Desmond was exactly the special circumstances they were waiting for, and would brook no excuses to the contrary. I had cleared any obstacles in short order and secured $2000 for Desmond’s travel & sundries. The check should arrive Tuesday.



Monday, I will do whatever I can before the actual cash arrives. Oh btw, I called the music store 3 times with no callback.

[pina]

Youre doing a wonderful job Acc, If all the other helpers were as organised and efficient as you, then it wouldn´t take to long to find homes and family for all these people.....keep it up.

[Accountable]

Thanks, Pina, but I think you're giving me too much credit. There are plenty of volunteers that are getting things done faster and more efficiently than I. It's the organizations that seem to be the wrenches in the machinery.







odd.

[mominiowa]

Your wonderful....By the way - My sis is headed that way from Utah for 21 days with the Red Cross..Maybe you could run into each other if you are at the same site..she is a feisty red head with Air force attitude! :p

[pina]

Accountable wrote: Thanks, Pina, but I think you're giving me too much credit. There are plenty of volunteers that are getting things done faster and more efficiently than I. It's the organizations that seem to be the wrenches in the machinery.







odd.




Don´t put yourself down, you are there and doings all these wonderful things to help as many people as you can, even to the point of using your own mobile, which might not seem like much but its getting Desmond back to his family. It´s your heart, mind and time you are using to help others in need, how many other poeple would do any of these things with no pay, probably not enough.....:-4

[Accountable]

Monday: The Mexican Army was serving meals today! There were 6 of ‘em. Not exactly Alamo numbers, but what the heck. I went to each one and recited my entire Spanish vocabulary. Muchos gracias. I believe they replied with the Mexican equivalent of aw shucks.



The place looks emptier today. It maybe my imagination, since many people are going downtown during the day. One thing is frustrating. Apparently a lot of people got FEMA’s $2000 and are spending it on new clothes (they can get adequate clothes free), food (we give 3 hot meals a day), and entertainment (I can support that; it’s boring here). Lots of fodder here for why the poor are poor.



I called the music store. They put me off until tomorrow. Thinking about calling another store.



Today I became Accountable Guy: Private Eye. I found 3 families today!



Naomi & Thomas are brother and sister in their early 80’s. I spoke to Miss Naomi every time I had a chance, & noticed Saturday that her spirits were going downhill. Today I asked if she had any plans or had heard from family. I hit a nerve. There were no plans. There was no one. Nobody was talking to them like she saw them talking to everybody else. She watched others around her getting places to live, but nobody had done anything for them! I was certain she was talking about Joe, the arthritic gentleman I mentioned before, because he had been in the cot next to them. Now the empty cot served as a constant reminder. She was angry now, and it was difficult to get her to respond, but I persisted. I asked if she had family. Just the two of them and her daughter who was somewhere else in this building. Everybody else was dead. Cousins? “Why you ask about cousins? Cousins don’t care!” So there were cousins! I pressed her for names & finally got two. I could feel her hate for me for not letting her wallow in self-pity alone. I went to the computers.



Hour by hour, the internet database of Katrina families is growing. Yahoo has a special search engine that accesses many of them at once. Yaaaay private enterprise. Gov’t bureaucracy & Red Cross seem to be more of a hindrance than help. I entered Mr. Thomas’ name and immediately got three hits! One was for a much younger man of the same name, but the other two were good. I phoned the first one and left a message on the answering machine. The second one I called got a young lady’s voice. She was the daughter of a cousin long dead. She had met Miss Naomi & Mr. Thomas when she was young; they might not even remember her. I told her I would have them call her back. I went back to Miss Naomi & gave her the news, and I asked her if she would come to the phones to speak to the young lady. No, she didn’t want to leave her things, and her brother was “off somewhere.” I phoned the young lady on my cell phone so they could talk a few minutes. I think Miss Naomi really believed nobody could be trusted until that moment.



I found Mr. Thomas and gave him the news; he went to the phones immediately to get arrangements started. Later that evening, I received a call on my cell phone from the first number. It was a nephew of Mr. Thomas’ second wife (deceased). I gave him instructions of how he might reach him tonight, or he could call me again tomorrow afternoon.



Martha was homeless. Her parents and siblings were all dead. Her only friends were homeless. She was on her own. She would love to find out what happened to her friends but knew they wouldn’t be able to help her. She gave me a few friends’ names just to find out if they made it into a shelter. I entered her name into the search engine and found that one of her friends was with family and was looking for her! I was so excited to give her the news and contact information, I forgot to check the other names. :yh_doh



Last Friday, a man was so nervous about getting bad news, he was afraid to look for his family at all. Saturday, I had found nothing. I checked again today and found a contact. I called and they had already located all the rest of the family. Everybody was okay. I still haven’t found the man, but everybody near his cot now knows the good news and promised to have him find me.



James was not so lucky …. yet. He lived with his mother, brother, and sister in New Orleans. They had no telephone; he doubted any of them knew anything about computers. They got separated. That’s all he would tell me. Seeing the look in his eyes, I didn’t press him (completely selfish reasons – I’m not sure I could’ve taken it). I hunted online, but didn’t find them. I entered his information so someone could find him.

[PurpleChicken]

Well done AC - super sleuth extraordinaire!!



You're goind great work here, so many families will be grateful for your contribution. You are a dead set legend!! (Aussie speak for a fantastic guy!)



Fingers crossed that you hear from the music store tomorrow.....

[orangesox1]

Hi AC

People like you make the world a better place. I hope your getting plenty of rest too as that will enable you to keep it up. Our emergency service motto is " Take care of your own physical need first, then you will be able to better help those around you"

Wish I was there to help too.

:-6 :-6 :-6

[Accountable]

Tuesday: I continued my search as soon as I signed in. I went to the man’s cot (his name is Chris) but he wasn’t there. An ancient woman sitting in a wheel chair nearby told me he smokes too much so I could probably find him outside. Ten minutes later I found him. We laughed about the whole ordeal and how he worried so much for nothing, as we made our way to the phones. Everyone was indeed okay and located. We hugged and I went on my way.

People are getting sick. Some say bacterial & viral bugs in the New Orleans water are just now manifesting themselves in low fever, diarrhea and cramping, but I think it’s the close quarters.

Desmond, whom I mentioned in Saturday’s report, found me. He had received his check and was ready to set up transportation. When we got to the table that had been the starting point for all transportation issues, the Salvation Army guy said the process changed about 30 minutes ago. FEMA was now in charge of all transportation. FEMA who turned back WalMart trucks filled with supplies; who started giving out money, then stopped, then started again; who gives rich people $250K and poor people pocket change for similar situations. I was so happy.

FEMA has raised themselves a notch in my respectometer. They got a new head guy, a former firefighter, I understand. At the same time, they have started providing free transportation – choice of air, bus, or train – to a one-way destination of the individual’s choice. Desmond was their first, thus the guinea pig, but we got the paperwork done. Every step seemed to involve the FEMA people discussing new unanticipated questions, often telephoning some superior for resolution. We spent the downtime laughing about how everybody was speaking to Desmond. As soon as they find out he is “special needs” (the new PC term, I guess) they bend low, speak really slowly, and ask me if he understands. I almost peed when Desmond whispered to me, “They sound more retarded than me.” It didn’t help that one of them looked remarkably like George Bush (Desmond noticed it first).

I have to say that, as in all bureaucracies, it’s usually not the individuals who are at fault. The FEMA people themselves are wonderful, caring people, who typically apologized for the inconveniences their organization created. Tomorrow we get the itinerary. Desmond should be on his way by Thursday morning.

We got some new residents in today. They had been staying at Levi Strauss. I’m too new to the town to know if that is a warehouse, stadium, or retail outlet. Apparently, we are finding more normal living arrangements for enough people that we have started consolidating the Red Cross facilities.

[chonsigirl]

You are a remarkable man, AC...............keep up the good work! God will bless you for your kindness to these people, who need help so badly.

[orangesox1]

Great report, thanks for taking the time to share it with us. How much longer do you think people will be housed in the shelter for?