September 07, 2005
Miles from home
Students from Tulane are already on campus, and evacuated families began arriving today. Snowstorm City is nowhere near New Orleans so the reality that the evacuees have traveled this far north made me realize just how many humans have been displaced by this disaster. When I was talking about this on campus with some students, I expected some deep, philosophical thoughts, but instead the reaction was practical. "We need to get them some winter clothes. Has anyone warned these families yet that we get snow before Halloween?"
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I'm expecting a student from Xavier in my Environmental Ethics class soon. I didn't even think about the winter clothes problem.
The presence of refugees in communities across the country will keep this issue in the headlines until the next election.
A colleague saw an evacuee family at the Wal-mart in Windham, Maine, the other day. Talk about needing some winter togs.
There are many evacuees here in Cincinnati. It has been nice to see the outpouring of help from our local communities.
Your students are very thoughtful.
We have a couple of Xavier and Tulane students moving into our dorms tonight. Well, arriving anyhow. Nothing to move in, really. I think the rest of the campus is sort of competing to be the first to get them whatever they need. The Hudson Valley is getting chilly at night, so sweaters top the list.
My husband teaches in northern Mississippi. Between students absent to be with family on the gulf coast and student-evacuees just now starting school, his big lecture class has been pretty chaotic. As he notes, that's a blessedly small worry to have.
All the way across the country, we are getting evacuees. Mostly elderly, going into a local nursing home.
1000 evacuees were scheduled to arrive in Portland, OR, this week, but at last report that was put on hold. I have to say that I'm disappointed -- like how one feels when guests fail to arrive.
Here are some things I thought they might need: pajamas; blow-dryers and makeup and all that female stuff; really good cleaning products & lotions (I hear people are getting awful rashes from being in that water); and covers for their ears and eyes so they can sleep among all those strangers!
If you or any readers know a place where in-kind donations are welcome, can you let us know?
A church near me is accepting donations (a moving company is transporting the donations the evacuees), but I'm all the way in VA, perhaps a church near you is accepting donations?
Also, check out Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn, and , they're listing places that are taking tangibles.
That should have said:
and JenEx". They're listing places that take tangibles
Sorry.
When they announced yesterday that Massachusetts likely would not be receiving the evacuees they thought would arrive shortly, it did occur to me that perhaps they didn't want to face a Boston winter. I can't blame them, it is COLD here!
I've got a couple as well, and I'm nowhere near N.O. either.
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