After all the bad stuff going on.....I heard some good news this morning
I was trying to decide who to give a donation to for Hurricane Katrina Relief.
On KLVI a local talk radio station Mr. Joe Penland who owns Quality Mat Company was on. A local fund has been started here in SE Texas at Texas State Bank. He was called by another person who asked him if he would match a $25,000 dollar donation , he did and then contacted other locals to start the ball rolling.
South East Texas Hurricane Relief Effort Fund.
at Texas State Bank
I made my donation today.
They have already sent 200 families/persons from SE Texas to join up with relatives or employers who would provide them a job. They are planning to send another 120 families/persons to join with relatives or a job.
Now before these folks are given Bus Tickets the relative and employment are verified before the ticket is purchased. The Ticket is non refundable so it cant be turned in for cash.
They also had a local apartment owner who had just finished a complex and had 60 unrented units. The owner said he would provide them these 60 units for 6 months for free. The only problem was they had no furniture. applications were taken from families and local charities/agencies assisted in choosing the families and doing a background check so 60 families were chosen. This Fund helped to provide furniture for those folks who were chosen and a voucher for school clothes and supplies for the children and some food. In fact some of these kids had thier first day of school yesterday.
Mr. Penland was there helping to assemble the furniture and move it in units.
I went by Texas State Bank today and gave em some money for this fund..because it is making a direct impact on the problem now. They are moving people to places they can stay or get employment.
I have tried to find a place for clothes donations but the outpouring locally has been so much that they have more than they can use at the moment.
WoW! is all I can say
There is also a local town that Churches have taken in some folks. One church had just finished a new center with a kitchen and large area. They have taken in a large family that had special needs that required more than a cot in a arena. As I understand the kids have a form of Liver cancer. Some of the locals fixed it up for them. Since then they have taken some more of them in. One Church had 60,000 set aside for a new building fund, they had the loan aprroved for construction. They are now using that $60,000 to help out victims of Katrina. One lady I work with today lives in Port Arthur, thier church has set up an shelterand provided relief. She said thay had to start turning donations away.
again Wow!
I work for the military and I see today that fund codes have been added for Hurricane Katrina Relief for the Reserves. In fact I submitted orders request for some folks today. The Reserve is also starting its effort to find and locate displaced reservists and thier families and the families of mobilized soldiers. So I imagine business will pick up for us on Hurricane Katrina efforts at work.
Now for a word of caution.......
we got some of the bad mixed in with the good evacuees. I know a lort of folks are willing to take families in. Most of this has been for the good. I was talking with a reliable source and a lady had taken in a family only to wake up the next morning and she had some stuff stolen. So unless you personally know them I would go to an evacuee center where they can verify the backgrounds of people and do it that way.
There are so many good works being done it makes you choke up and bawl.
America is alive an well in this neck of the woods.
I was trying to decide who to give a donation to for Hurricane Katrina Relief.
On KLVI a local talk radio station Mr. Joe Penland who owns Quality Mat Company was on. A local fund has been started here in SE Texas at Texas State Bank. He was called by another person who asked him if he would match a $25,000 dollar donation , he did and then contacted other locals to start the ball rolling.
South East Texas Hurricane Relief Effort Fund.
at Texas State Bank
I made my donation today.
They have already sent 200 families/persons from SE Texas to join up with relatives or employers who would provide them a job. They are planning to send another 120 families/persons to join with relatives or a job.
Now before these folks are given Bus Tickets the relative and employment are verified before the ticket is purchased. The Ticket is non refundable so it cant be turned in for cash.
They also had a local apartment owner who had just finished a complex and had 60 unrented units. The owner said he would provide them these 60 units for 6 months for free. The only problem was they had no furniture. applications were taken from families and local charities/agencies assisted in choosing the families and doing a background check so 60 families were chosen. This Fund helped to provide furniture for those folks who were chosen and a voucher for school clothes and supplies for the children and some food. In fact some of these kids had thier first day of school yesterday.
Mr. Penland was there helping to assemble the furniture and move it in units.
I went by Texas State Bank today and gave em some money for this fund..because it is making a direct impact on the problem now. They are moving people to places they can stay or get employment.
I have tried to find a place for clothes donations but the outpouring locally has been so much that they have more than they can use at the moment.
WoW! is all I can say
There is also a local town that Churches have taken in some folks. One church had just finished a new center with a kitchen and large area. They have taken in a large family that had special needs that required more than a cot in a arena. As I understand the kids have a form of Liver cancer. Some of the locals fixed it up for them. Since then they have taken some more of them in. One Church had 60,000 set aside for a new building fund, they had the loan aprroved for construction. They are now using that $60,000 to help out victims of Katrina. One lady I work with today lives in Port Arthur, thier church has set up an shelterand provided relief. She said thay had to start turning donations away.
again Wow!
I work for the military and I see today that fund codes have been added for Hurricane Katrina Relief for the Reserves. In fact I submitted orders request for some folks today. The Reserve is also starting its effort to find and locate displaced reservists and thier families and the families of mobilized soldiers. So I imagine business will pick up for us on Hurricane Katrina efforts at work.
Now for a word of caution.......
we got some of the bad mixed in with the good evacuees. I know a lort of folks are willing to take families in. Most of this has been for the good. I was talking with a reliable source and a lady had taken in a family only to wake up the next morning and she had some stuff stolen. So unless you personally know them I would go to an evacuee center where they can verify the backgrounds of people and do it that way.
There are so many good works being done it makes you choke up and bawl.
America is alive an well in this neck of the woods.