Will New Orleans need volunteer labor to clean up ?

[steve2470]

I think I know the answer, just checkin'.

[malaise]

1. Damn I'm watching viideo as it comes in

This is unbelievable devastation. Imagine what would have happened with a direc thit. My fear is that many, many people are dead.

[kestrel91316]

2. I would imagine any local church there would be needing helpers

for small local projects. There are also larger charitable organizations who will likely get involved. The one that comes to mind is Mennonite Disaster Service, but I think they want MENNONITE volunteers, lol. So unless you are one...........

[ultraist]

3. Disaster areas always need volunteers to help out

They likely wont let people into the city for a few days. After Fran hit, they asked for people not to come to NC for several days unless they were with certain organizations.

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[QC]

8. Just alert on freeperish shit like that when you see it. n/t

[Name removed]

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[OffWithTheirHeads]

11. Whatever

And as a matter of fact, I do. So don't be so quick to be confrontational. You have your opinion, I have mine. You don't like mine. That's your privilege. But I will express my opinion weather you like it or Bush likes it or not. That's my privilege.

[Name removed]

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[OffWithTheirHeads]

13. I did

nt

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[Cleita]

5. Probably.

No one would send in assets to remove the poor people, why would they pay anyone to clean up? Bushler doesn't have to live there now does he?

[zulchzulu]

7. Look at Habitat for Humanity

http://www.habitatforhumanity.org.uk/whe_america.htm

I'm going to check out what they will be up to. It's a start.

[southlandshari]

15. That's a good question - please, folks, let's all stay focused here...

No more "fuck the red states - they deserve it" posts and no more replying in kind. Please. People died today. DUers lost their homes and their livelihoods in a matter of hours when this storm made landfall. Please. No more nastiness. Not on this thread. Not on this night.

Thanks!

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

16. I'm afraid Mississippi will need more help.

Over 50 confirmed dead there so far.

[rrrevolution]

17. We went through this in NC with Hurricane Floyd, it will take years

to clean up and rebuild where the flooding has been this severe.

It has taken years of effort by hundreds of groups and individuals, and still today there are homes in the flood area still condemned and waiting to be demolished. And in the hardest hit areas you usually find the poorest with no insurance to help them rebuild or move.

The problem is not building or rebuilding, the problem is drying out, tearing out, and then cleaning the grounds and structure to prevent mold, mildew, and spread of infection from the flood waters. Everything is affected, wiring, plumbing, flooring, sheetrock, ceilings, etc. You have to do that first before you can put new materials to work. You cannot imagine how difficult and dirty this type of work is.

The tragedy is people who lose their homes are usually unable to find suitable housing in the area and have to move miles away to a new location with little money or assistance.

And one last point. Government assistance always runs out before people victimized by the flood can be resettled. Public attention moves on, and volunteers will eventually finish the job as far as possible. In our case, many victims were evicted from temporary trailers provided by FEMA before they could be resettled. FEMA came and got the trailers and left. Heartbreaking.

[southlandshari]

18. You are so right.

In a nutshell, there are lots of folks interested in hurricane relief - the short term and urgent needs of hard hit communities. Hurricane recovery is far less glamorous and takes years and incredible sacrifice from local communities - after everyone else is gone.

Keep on remembering those in Katrina's wake. Consider making plans to go to Mississippi or Louisiana with Habitat or another organization that has roots in these communities say, six months from now. Next summer. They will need us just as badly - if not more so - then.

[darkstar]

19. Rhetorical question: What the hell could have possibly

led to confrontations in this thread?

I mean I know the rules are not to fan the fire. I really don't want to know.

But the fact that there appears to have been a firefight on a well intentioned topic is kind of mind blowing.

At any rate steve24070, I'm sure there will be something to do and that volunteers will be welcome in numerous areas.

Thanks for your ongoing concern,

DS

[southlandshari]

20. Raw emotion and human error.

People posting without thinking. People responding out of sheer fright and anger and frustration about loved ones and the heartbreak of all of this.

In short - our own humanity.

Hopefully folks are back on track here - in this thread, anyway.

:hi: