Hurricane Refugee Help

Kimberly Dow · 09-05-2005, 10:12 PM

Joan, Im so glad to hear that folks can still drop off right by the Astrodome - that is great!

Im going to stop posting my updates here - as I am taking up space on what is an art forum, (Cynthia - thank you for letting me post these here) but I wanted to let you all know I have a page on my website with information and photos of victims looking for their families. (at least a few in the rows that I have kind of personally been helping).

Oh! Plus - in case anyone is wondering....I found Vida's family today using the internet and some phone calls. They cried and carried on - so relieved. Then I raced down to the Colliseum to get the numbers and info. to Vida. She cried, carried on....and gave me a crook in my neck from all that hugging.

She did not know if any of them were alive or not and the relief was awesome. I have to say - that is most rewarding thing I can ever remember doing. I also found a husband, a daughter and several cousins for some other folks in my little adopted area. Tomorrow I am going to bring my laptop down and see if the wireless city internet service works there and see who else I can help. Im not sure why there arent computers there - I guess the city just doesnt have them.

Kimberly Dow · 09-05-2005, 10:16 PM

This is Vada everyone. I've been spelling her name wrong.

Patricia Joyce · 09-06-2005, 09:28 AM

God bless her and God bless you, Kim, too!!

Kimberly Dow · 09-06-2005, 08:21 PM

I had to post one more update...

today the folks over at the Nell arte forum got online and searched while I typed in names of missing folks while the survivors were right in front of me. I think we located 30 families or so. Unfortunatly we crashed the site, but it should be back up soon. It was a good day.

Linda Brandon · 09-06-2005, 09:00 PM

Kim, you are doing a terrific job down there!

This is wonderful to hear.( I will email you.)

Phoenix is turning volunteers away from our refugee site and has set up dropoff centers. Access to computers would be a great thing for displaced people to have.

Kimberly Dow · 09-06-2005, 09:09 PM

Linda,

Let me tell you a secret -

they were telling volunteeers not to go down to ours as well - but see - I grabbed a tag and pretended like I knew what I was doing and just marched in.

A lot of these folks wont ASK, but if you ask them what they need - they will tell you. Thats how I realized that so many still didnt know where family was. There is no organized thing of folks with computers, but I havent been the only one so far - just brilliant people who thought of it and just go down I guess. They did nab me today for having a Red Cross sticker on and made me take it off. What? am I making the Red Cross look bad or something?

Edit - I should say - Ive been there since saturday and I wasnt trying to buck authority (well, maybe a little) see - the situation is this - plenty of volunteers to serve, do medical stuff, organize the donations, etc. But hardly ANY were interacting with the survivors one on one. The survivors are still in the dark and are not getting direction. They have out-going phones to use - but there is not one data base to call or search for loved ones - there are hundreds! So, its very confusing and there are many sitting in their cots needing things, but not knowing who to ask.

I have to say - they are moving though - many were taken out today to look at apartments and such - so they are getting placed. It's just the one-on-one that seems to be missing. Especially for the ones who are illiterate. I had many today who didnt know the spelling of their own relatives names and we had to guess. We found a lot of them though.

Mary Reilly · 09-07-2005, 12:19 AM

Kim,
What are your thoughts on art supplies?
I've heard alot of mention about art therapy over the years, and I am wondering if it might be helpful if art supplies were given to them, particularly the 7 to 12 year olds that you mentioned. Perhaps some of them would like to draw and it would help their emotional well being. If you would be able to pass art supplies on, I would be happy to send some. Perhaps sketch books and colored pencils. I know some people wouldn't think art supplies very practical, but for what these people have been through I think it could help the sanity of some of them.
Let me know what you think about this, since you have been interacting with them.
Mary