Not So Bad After All

In a blog posted last week (10/11/07), I described some of the frustrations and red tape surrounding a visit to a Salvation Army warehouse in New Orleans. There were some bigger items sitting there, including refrigerators and dishwashers, that I would have liked to have gotten my hands on for residents, but the warehouse foreman explained to me that those were items donated via the United Way and that because of certain protocols they couldn’t be distributed to residents of St. Bernard Parish. He suggested I call the local United Way to see if anything could be done. I have to admit, at the time it didn’t sound hopeful.

But I’m going to consider this a lesson in why and how we should always explore all possibilities, and at least try. It took a few phone calls this week, but this morning I finally got through to someone at the local chapter of the United Way who knew what was going on. The woman I spoke with, Nicole, is with the United Way of Greater New Orleans, and she was extremely courteous, interested and helpful. After letting me explain what our program does, she alerted me to two committees, one based in St. Bernard Parish, and one which covers all of the greater New Orleans area. The committees are comprised of representatives from a number of agencies and non-profits, big and small, and they meet monthly to discuss needs in the area, how to network amongst each other and who and where the most assistance is needed. Additionally, she explained that the United Way has a large amount of donated items locally, above and beyond what I saw at the Salvation Army warehouse, and that by joining these committees and going through the proper channels, I’d very likely be able to get a lot of the goods.

Jackpot! So, not only does it look like I have another great window to compiling goods to get to the families I’m working with, but also that I’ll be getting great exposure and face time to other organizations via these committees. I already spoke with the head of the Long Term Recovery Organization and we’re going to sit down next week so that our non-profit (SBRC) can officially be signed up to be part of the group (The Greater New Orleans Disaster Recovery Organization, also referred to as DRIP, is the other organization).

I was pretty quick to scoff at the red tape and procedure and protocol involved with getting stuff at that warehouse last week. But, a couple of phone calls provided a good lesson, a great window of opportunity, and, perhaps most of all, another reminder that there are lots of good people down here who really want to help.

On an equally good note, I thought I’d post a photo of two members of the latest household that we’re going to try and help. Fred and Lillian Johnson, married for 27 years (her second marriage), lost their home and all their possessions in Katrina. Mr. Johnson also suffered a serious injury while cleaning up their property, slipping on a board and cracking a disk in his neck. He recently had surgery to have it replaced, and a bout with prostate cancer is next. As he aptly put it when I met with them, “Katrina ruined us”.

Still, there’s no self-pity with Fred and Lillian. Frustration, yes. They have received no word on when they’ll get their Road Home money as repayment for losing their home. But self-pity, no. They just want to do what’s best for the entire family, as they have a daughter, granddaughter and two great-grand kids living with them. They now have a modular home (their original home came off the foundation during the storm and was deemed irreparable), with a FEMA Trailer in the front yard and a garage that they’ve turned into a mini-apartment in back. Their granddaughter and her two children live in there.

Mr. Johnson told me today all he really wants for himself is a folding table to eat at while he sits in his rolling chair. I told him I think we can handle that. Of course, I hope we can do a bit more for them as well.