Wait until you read this … it’s going to blow you away. It certainly did us.
On September 1, Jeane left this comment on the Been There Clearinghouse:
We are planning to take as much stuff as we can fit in two vans and a trailer to MS or LA. Baby formula, baby food, diapers, OTC meds, school supplies, sports drinks, etc. Leaving Illinois on Friday night. Any suggestions for shelters or churches or neighborhoods full of refugees that may not be getting all they need from relief agencies who have to focus on the large urban areas? We would like to get this stuff directly into the hands of those who need it ASAP.
Thanks, Jeane
We responded by saying:
Oh you are so exceedingly generous. We are moved to tears at this moment.
We just posted a note in the comment section of our blog regarding a shelter in Louisiana. I imagine you could also call the Mayor’s office listed there and ask for other shelters in the neighboring area.Likewise, if you learn of other shelters that have specific needs, please let us know on the blog and we’ll get the word out.Thanks very much for posting, and best of luck this weekend. You are on a mission of mercy.
And here’s what we got back from Jeane today!
Emily and Cooper,
I need to give you the most amazing update. Thursday I posted a query about where to go with some supplies. My brothers were going to take a couple of loaded vans to LA. We didn’t think that we had enough diapers and formula so my sister sent an email at 11 PM to about ten friends telling them what we were doing. At 9 AM on Friday morning some of our friends showed up with some supplies for us to add to ours for the trip.
Very soon after, strangers started arriving. We were a little confused until someone told us that our small email had been forwarded to WGN radio and they read it on the air. It never stopped all day!
There was a constant stream of people arriving with an unbelievable amount of donations. My sister’s entire front yard was just covered. I was contacted by a pharmacy owner in Reedsburg,WI wanting to donate medical supplies. Her husband flew them to Milwaukee in a small plane and my brother picked them up at the airport. First we changed plans and got a UHaul in Chicago and one in Milwaukee for our brothers up there. But it still didn’t stop and we couldn’t bear to turn people away.
We were just one family, complete amateurs and really got an education in logistics on Friday. God Bless our neighbors and friends. Eventually so many donations came in we were in a panic. I was calling all over Louisiana trying to find someone who could accept this much stuff while others were trying to figure out how we were going to transport it. Finally, my brother in law found an amazing trucking company in our area. They have donated a 53 foot semi truck, 2 drivers, and all the fuel for the truck. Can you believe it!
They even helped us get the proper FEMA paperwork allowing the truck to get fuel because it is carrying relief supplies. Apparently, FEMA is saving the fuel for relief efforts and you have a letter from them to get more than 50 gallons a day.
Some people who came to donate stayed to help as it became apparent that we two moms with little ones running around were suddenly in way over our heads. Some stayed all day sorting and boxing donations. We weren’t prepared at all for this. Suddenly others began arriving with boxes and packing tape and markers they purchased themselves when the need became obvious. Others brought snacks and juice for the mob of kids and soft drinks and beer for the grown ups. We bought a pile of pizzas and kept on working. At 8PM the truck arrived and the great impromptu volunteers loaded the truck in record time. The local NBC news did a live feed from the back of the truck during the 10 PM news and interviewed me and my sister. Watching the newscast a little later on TIVO we could only laugh because we both look completely stunned. Around 11PM the Milwaukee caravan arrived with their UHaul truck and SUVs fully loaded.
During the late afternoon, I was contacted by the town of Rayville, LA. The sheriff of Rayville and two local officials conference called me to explain their situation and ask our help. Raysville is in northern Louisiana and has as many as 2000 refugees in their parish and the two neighboring parishes. They are not receiving any aid from the Red Cross or the government as these agencies are concentrating on urban areas in the south. The local people cannot provide for all these people alone! They explained to me that they are not a registered charity, but instead a community group trying to help its people help those who fled the disaster with only what they could carry. They said they were going to split the supplies between three parishes housing as many as 2000 refugees.
Well this was great as far as we were concerned. The whole point in the beginning was to get supplies directly into peoples hands ASAP. The “charities” were not doing a great job in my view. The sheriff gave me his cell phone number in addition to the number to the sheriffs department so we could stay in contact. I am telling you I could literally hear their gratitude through the phone. He called again this morning and I could happily tell him the trucks and SUVs left this morning at 8AM. The guys will call when they are getting close and the sheriff has people ready and waiting to unload all the goodies. I explained that they may be arriving as late as midnight and he said they will be ready and waiting.
This experience was amazing! I am still just stunned by the response. We were one family trying to help in a small way even though the “official” disaster relief people kept saying over and over that we should just stay home and send money. The Red Cross won’t even accept any goods collected in local collection drives - only cash, cash, cash. What we discovered is that people all over are just dying to help and frustrated by the discouragement given by the government and the big relief agencies. We are watching people die on TV while the official people can do nothing to help. Imagine what it is like for the poor outlying areas housing large numbers of refugees with no help from the relief agencies at all.
I didn’t mean this to go on so long but I am so proud of everyone who helped. You should have seen the kids! Every child over the age of say 7 or 8 worked from when school let out until the truck was loaded. They packed and sorted. They hauled boxes and packages around. They volunteered to babysit the small ones. No complaints, no fighting. They see the images on TV and hear the stories of disaster. They really want to help too.
I don’t want to sound like I’m tooting my horn. I just thought you might be interested in our adventure. Maybe this story will encourage others to keep up the good fight to help those in need. This clearinghouse is a wonderful idea to get things to those who are in need.
Thank you and God Bless!
Jeane Pesci
Illinois
Please be sure to read the comment from Kacey, it makes this letter from Jeane even more moving and incredible.
As the 53 foot semi truck was about to arrive in Rayville, Louisiana filled with Jeane’s huge amount of supplies, we received this email from her:
The guys called from the road an hour or so ago. They are in contact with the sheriff in Rayville. The sheriff and state troopers will be meeting them to escort them into the area. They will be arriving about midnight tonight. This whole adventure has to have been at God’s own direction. Finding Rayville in the first place was sort of accidental. But Sheriff Joe Seymour told my brothers that 1,800 more evacuees were airlifted into Monroe county today.
They are just desperate. They are even out of basic medical supplies - so isn’t it weird that Gina the pharmacist donated all those medicines? I know that our truck won’t be enough but maybe it can help until more stuff can be shipped in.
I’m not sure exactly what the plan is because the guys are having trouble getting cell phone coverage. The address they gave us for the drop off is 708 Julia Street in Rayville. Hope this helps! Jeane
PS - An Internet rock star? Oh please! I’m just a working mother of four who cannot imagine the pain of being homeless with nothing to feed my kids or clean up my baby. (But I did get to be interviewed on the 10 o’clock news! LOL)
The story continued in the next email:
The guys arrived about midnight and the truck arrived early this morning. They are unloading, organizing and the guys are ferrying supplies out to the evacuees in the small shelters. Many of the evacuees airlifted in yesterday were wounded and much of the medical supplies have been driven over to the center treating the wounded.The guys (Bill, Dan, Brendan, Miles, Ryan, and another Brendan) have told us of the devastation they have seen. Even hundreds of miles inland the high winds of the hurricane and the tornados it spawned have done large amounts of damage far from the coastline. The last place they found gas at a gas station was north of Jackson, Mississippi. Jackson itself was out of gas when they got there. Careful planning will be required of anyone else who wants to bring in supplies. My suggestion to all wanting to help finding out who needs help is to find the phone numbers of the state troopers and the local law enforcement in all they areas of northern Louisiana and Mississippi. Just call the local communites and see what they need.
Thank you, Jeane, for keeping us abreast. We’re all inspired by what you and your family and friends have done.