Reply #65: an email from a good liberal staff person at work [View All]

[wellstone dem]

"I'm writing to give you information about an opportunity to contribute to Hurrican Katrina housing relief. Last night I spoke to my good friend, Penny Dendy, the director of Volunteer Mobile, about the damage in Mobile County from Katrina. She told me it was by far the worst she had seen from a hurricane. For example, she described the devastation in Bayou Le Batre, a small fishing community, SW of Mobile toward the Gulf. Many houses were destroyed, others were knocked from the foundations. One woman came up to the emergency management group Penny was with and pointed to a nearby house. The woman tearfully explained that the house was her sister's house and she could not find her sister.

Penny said the fishing industry, which provides a lot of low-wage jobs, is almost destroyed with boats missing or blown from their moorings and heavily damaged and processing plants washed out by the surging waters. Plus, the shrimp beds along the tributaries and in the Gulf are all messed up.

The good news is that Volunteer Mobile is leading an effort to begin to restore homes. They work with homeowners, primarily low-income, who have FEMA grants or other resources. Volunteer Mobile finds volunteers to contribute time to rebuild houses. Thus, Volunteer Mobile can stretch people's money from the small, often inadequate, grants.

You can contribute to this effort by sending a check to
Long-Term Recovery
Volunteer Mobile
1050 Government St.
Mobile, Ala. 36604

Volunteer Mobile's website is www.volunteermobile.org"