We’ve said it before, but it’s worth saying again today — being a part of this Clearinghouse and the efforts of so many people here have been a highlight of our lives.
From the early days of Katrina when we were screaming at our television sets at the horror and injustice of the destruction and governmental indifference to the Gulf Coast, you, and thousands and thousands of others, came to the Clearinghouse because you wanted to do something, anything, to help out all the many people in need.
And then just a few days later, when those of you who lost your homes and so much more were able to go online, or friends or family went online for you, you came here to get a helping hand or tell your story. Your words made us cry because you gave voice to the great big enormous tragedy that had unfolded before our eyes, in our own country, down the street. It was almost too much to imagine, but then you spoke with such strength and honesty and compassion and gave layers of meaning to a story that was all over the news but still was missing the most important, the most human element – the inner dialogue of you, the people who had gone through it all.
Who can forget Toni, 21 years old with three boys, saying how she knew she’d get through the dark days because she saw her grandmother rebuild after Camille, or the last haunting paragraph of her beautiful piece —
Many believe the government should be doing more for them. Me, I am just thankful to have the air mattress I sleep on and my family driving me crazy. I say I have seen the best and worst of humanity. I have seen riots over food and money, and I have seen complete strangers open their homes to give those who have no place to go a roof over their head. I have faith in my city and state, and I am with my government in saying that we will rebuild, not just buildings, but lives as well. It will of course take time and plenty of patience. For those of us that call south Mississippi home, it is worth it. Like a the phoenix from the fire my town will return as beautiful as was before Katrina, and I pray that the hardship of the last month, will be a lesson for the future.
Or Maddie’s description of how hard it was to get FEMA aid —
Try lugging an infant 2 miles to the nearest place that’s giving out goods. At that point all you have energy and room for is what food you can carry or fit in a stroller. What would be hugely helpful are shopping carts, wagons, wheel barrels, etc. Things that folks can fit things in if they don’t have transport. We have one bridge open in the whole Coast area, theres one way in and one way out. That’s it. The Red Cross and FEMA seems to love to put their help centers on the other side of the Biloxi Bay in Ocean Springs….the only way to get there is the highway or boat since that bridge is out. We aren’t allowed in the water and most of us don’t have cars to drive over there and we aren’t allowed to walk on the highways…how do you get help? You can imagine the frustration.
We heard that many of you had been through tough times of your own and people had come through for you then, and you wanted to do the same for others.
My house burnt down when I was a jr. in high school and people helped us, so I want to help someone else.
Last year, I delivered my youngest son prematurely in the middle of Hurricane Frances here in South Florida. I want to help.
We are a small town family in Six Lakes Michigan, and would love to help in any way that we can. We have 7 children and know first hand how hard life can be. Thank you for your time. Hope to help someone in need.
And local groups sprung up, taking the lead from Pittsburgh where the Gulf Coast Connection, led by Lurline Cadogan, has brought together the more than 400 people who relocated there from the Gulf Coast and have gathered and supported each other with jobs, housing, memorial services, parades, baseball games, and much more.
Throughout, you have inspired us all with the enormous and imaginative ways you gave of yourselves – from used cars and airline miles to retooled Mac computers (nearly 500 of them over the last year!), homemade soaps and quilts, baby clothes, school supplies, even beauty parlor chairs to help rebuild a lost salon. Schoolchildren, church groups, neighborhood associations and alumnae groups came together to help people and families.
And you have brought to life a new form of giving – connected giving – where as donors and recipients you found each other, one-to-one, so that whatever was there to be given went to a person or family who needed exactly that, often in a wrapped package with their names on it, and a thoughtful, heartfelt note inside.
We got the first of two boxes in today (from a Been there Clearinghouse donor) and it was like xmas for Ty and I. He had his first hot bath in almost three weeks tonight. He chowed two bottles of formula, one of water, and curled up in his new crib. There hasn’t been a peep since. THANK YOU!
When the anniversary of Katrina arrived, thousands of you came back to the Clearinghouse, to give, to connect, to share your need. It was so sad for us all that a whole year has passed and still there is so much work to be done.
For the past several months, though, with the exception of the anniversary of Katrina, the traffic to the Clearinghouse has dropped off considerably, and instead, we are sorry to say we are being overloaded with spam and other undesirable activity. We’ve always intended for the site to operate on its own, as a community corkboard of sorts, but with spammers and others, the dynamic has changed. Rather than close the Clearinghouse down completely, which we don’t want to do, we have decided to delete the many posts by people whose offers have been accepted or whose needs have been met, leaving up only the most recent request posts. We are turning off the ability to add new comments, though we invite the community to email us if they have links to other resources we should include here or ideas for other ways of helping and connecting with the people of the Gulf Coast that we could post here as well.
As we make this change, we’d like to acknowledge the great and inspiring connections that have been made here, and to pause and think of the very many people who are still struggling day to day to rebuild their lives after losing so very much.
All our love and best wishes,
Emily and Cooper