My lastest trip to the coast. by Elaine Langley, RN and Plenty Volunteer Hi everyone. I appreciate everyone's support and feel blessed I am able to do "good will" work along the coast. Plenty has been so supportive and makes it possible for me to continue. Once I saw the devastation across three states with not much governmental help, I just feel driven. Of course, I always wish I could do more. The more I hear the personal stories, the more my heart is broken. Now I have people who are counting on me for support and so, makes it impossible to walk away. My last trip with the Plenty film crew was just awesome (video documentary coming soon). It was great to video tape the stories of the people I have met these past 6 months in Biloxi and Pass Christian. We spent our first day in Biloxi filming my adopted family and neighborhood. We traveled in the Plenty van giving out food and supplies door to door, while Phil and Doug filmed individual stories. The hardest story for me was the 78 year old grandmother who was raising her 6 year old twin girls. She was sickly and in a wheel chair, although she was able to walk somewhat. She didn't even have a Fema trailer because she had given it to her daughter. Fema would not allow them to have two trailers. So here is this old, sickly woman living in her moldy house since Katrina hit. This is a very poor neighborhood which has lost everything. Plenty crew members, Phil Schweitzer, left and Ralph McAtee interview two student volunteers from Texas A&M working at “A Walk in the Park” distribution center on their spring break. Left, Phil taping tent city. Photos by Doug Stevenson The next day was spent in Pass Christian. This area has nothing for miles and miles, since everything is flattened. Our first stop was a place called "tent city" which is rows and rows of army tents. 500 residents were living there when I was there in February but have since moved into their "Fema trailer park". It is now a volunteer camp and a center for Americorp. Seth is a young man with a great vision and manages the camp. He set up a clinic that is in dire need of volunteer medical people. There is also a day care center there and we were able to give a few of Judy Meeker's "More Than Warmth" blankets to the small babies. A woman named Rebecca is the director of the center and it was great to film her story. She lost her day care center in the storm and was now running this one in tent city. She took care of 60 children, and this is a free service to the working parents made possible through contributions from "I Care". She said there was a need for 200 children. She also said tent city was a temporary shelter and that she was in need of materials to rebuild her day care. She said if she had the materials, she could round up the volunteers. We then headed to the distribution center where I have been sending supplies and food. Eleanor is an eloquent woman who has been running this center since Katrina hit. Eleanor lost everything and continues to keep this center open because the need in her community is so desperate. She continues to struggle keeping the center stocked. Her sidekick is Marley from Louisiana who also lost everything. My priority right now is to get the word out and send them trucks of food. This is an awesome job, so if any of you have any connections, please send them my way. I also have another project you may be able to help me with. Kim is a 24 year old who is part of the family I have adopted. She is pregnant with twins (a boy and a girl) and lives in a Fema trailer. I am collecting baby clothes and supplies, so anyone who can help me with this, I would be most appreciative. I have also talked with "Kids To The Country" and we're planning to bring up some of the children from my Biloxi neighborhood. I'm very excited about that. These are "very nice and sweet" children. Love you guys, Elaine Urgent Need for food in Pass Christian, Mississippi, 5/9/06 Hi, I received a call from Eleanor Jones who runs the distribution center in Pass Chrisitian, Mississippi. She had been planning to close her center through the hurricane season, but called me last week telling me she changed her mind due to such a desperate need in her area. She is currently caring for 2,000 people coming to her for food and supplies. Her exact words to me were "I AM BEGGING". Eleanor is an eloquent woman who lost everything in the storm, and like most everyone in that area, received little or no insurance money due to lack of "flood insurance". She has devoted all her time to taking care of everyone else since the Katrina hit last August. She lives in a Fema trailer and has put renovating her own house on hold. When asked what she needs most, she always replies, I need three things "FOOD, FOOD AND FOOD". Thank you so much for your help with this. The situation I am afraid is getting worse, not better. Love. Elaine To donate to Plenty's hurricane relief efforts, please visit our donation page or click button: You may also send a check to Plenty, Box 394, Summertown, TN 38483 Contact Plenty through email with any questions or ideas:plenty@plenty.org All donations to Plenty are tax-deductible. Thank you so very much. Back to Plenty's Hurricane Katrina and Rita Relief Efforts