I have an article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette today about an amazing person, the Rev. Marlon Yarbrough, who is doing what he can, through his own initiative, to help his friends, family and neighbors in New Orleans. Click here for a link to that piece.
The Reverend is doing what many of the “institutions” are not - helping small, home-based businesses in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans - a beauty parlor, a print shop, a graphics business, a daycare. He is seeking in-kind donations and seed money to get the businesses back on their feet. It is truly inspiring and wonderful – and progress is already being made!
In the next few weeks, trucks driven by representatives of the Western PA Methodist Center will deliver to those businesses computers refurbished by the North Pittsburgh Macintosh Users Group. For more information on the group’s Gulf Coast outreach visit www.thecenterforhope.com.
Just yesterday a top hairstylist in Pittsburgh offered the beauty parlor (Elka’s Beauty Expressed) three of his salon chairs. Now we just have to find a way to ship them.
To see the list of in-kind donations the Rev. has identified for the small businesses he is helping, click on the “Small Businesses” tab above or click here.
Reverend Yarbrough can be reached by email: info@yarbroughministries.com or through his website: www.yarbroughministries.com
Your article in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette is wonderful, Cooper. I’m sending it to everyone I know so they too can get a first-hand sense of what’s going on (still) in New Orleans.
And, the one-to-one connections that are happening are amazing. If only our government could have the resourcefulness and initiative of the individuals who have jumped right in and started to get things going.
My husband and I are in Atlanta and very interested in going out to the devestated gulf coast area to help- deliver food, clean debris, build, counsel families, etc. Most organizations that I have looked at mostly request monetary donations. I’m having a hard time finding organizations that can use volunteers. If anybody has any suggestions, I would greatly appreciate anything you can offer.