Hurrice Katrina - On the Front Line - Day 2

If you've just started to read this post, please go down to the post below and read Day 1 (Sept. 3)

                                      Sunday Morning 3:16 am - Day 2

Good morning.

It's very early on Sunday morning here in Houston.  I came home last night so exhausted that I went right to bed.  That was aound 8:00pm.  Hence, that's why I'm up so early.

The refugess (evacuees) from New Orleans keep pouring in.  Thousands at a time.  Yesterday, the city of Houston just opened the George R. Brown Convention Center to house several thousand more people from New Orleans.

Today I went back to the Astrodome to help out.  The relief effort, on a local level, continues to get more organized.  It was heartening to see the supplies coming in, but the relief organizations are still in DIRE NEED of funds and supplies.

I can tell you that this ordeal will be a long term effort.  I fear that people will give today and forget tomorrow.  Please keep in mind that we'll need your help over the long haul.

Here are some more photos from the front lines...

CLICK ON THE PHOTOS TO SEE THE ENLARGED VERSION

It just amazing when you walk into the Astrodome and see the thousands of people trying to survive.  At first glance, it takes your breath away.

This is the bulletin board for the "lost persons area."  Scores of people are trying to find their love ones who are missing.  There are so many small "missing person" notes that you can't even read most of the them.

This is a picture of some of the missing person notices close up.  It breaks your heart when you see notes like the white one down on the lower right that say, "Call Daddy."  You just know that there are parents out there that are grief stricken and are in pain.

The missing persons station also has people with laptop computers who search through a central database of evacuees to find people.  Evacuees have been taken to many different places.  Many of them went to Dallas, San Antonio, and many different places in the city of Houston.

This is a better look at the computer station for the lost and missing persons area.  There was a huge line of people waiting to talk to these young people on computers to find their loved ones.

And there are people who are roaming the floor of the Astrodome with huge signs of the names of their loved ones in hope that someone will know who they are or something about them...or perhaps, even find them in the dome.

The media is out in full force.  There were crews doing interviews all over the floor of the dome.  Here is one lady who had a LOT to say about everything.  While I was there she was dropping the "F" bomb while talking about President Bush.  Ouch!  There will be a lot of "bleeps" in that interview  :-)

I really felt for the people who were forced to sleep in the stadium seeting because there weren't enough cots for them on the floor.  I just wanted to take them all home with me.

The SPCA was there too!  SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals).  They had sanitized stations for pets, although I did not see any there.

Luckily Spiderman showed up.  The kids flocked to him.  He was a great distraction.  He wasn't allowed to give out candy, so instead, he just gave out a LOT of big hugs to kids who really needed it.

Here's a beautiful relief worker who was taking food and drinks to the elderly and those who we're physically able to stand in line.

All these young men were volunteers.  They were all around the arena helping out.  I can't remember what organization they were from.  I was exhausted at the end of the day...and one of them brought me a plate of food (I hadn't eaten all day).  In the evening, they all got together and started singing.  It was beautiful to hear.  It brought tears to my eyes.

This pic is kinda funny.  The media came up and started filming and all of a sudden this lady jumps up in front of the choral group and starts singing.  It was weird.  You could tell she was "not all there."  She was making up words and kind of shouting them out.  As I walked away, one evacuee said to me, "That's what losing everything will do to you."  It wasn't so funny anymore.

Here's a photo of some young boys who were all cousins.  It was great to see them together.  This is an event that they will never forget. 

It broke my heart when I saw the little babies.  Evacuees are in big need of baby items (i.e. diapers, formula, clothing, toys, etc.)  These ladies had three babies in their arms and many others around them.

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To all of you who have donated to help these people.  THANK YOU! 

Again, this will be a long-term effort.  It will require a lot of sustained giving over a period of time to get these people assimilated back into society.  Most will never be able to go back to their homes in New Orleans.

More photos to come.

David