Housewarming for Katrina Victim?

[Rafiki Rafiki Rafiki]

I am posting here instead of on the Katrina Board because I would like to get some ideas/opinions about this.

A family that was the subject of last week's CNN Presents regarding the hurricane has decided to relocate to our town. I've never met the family.

I am awestruck by this family's resilence after going through such a horribly traumatic experience, and I want to do something for them...something relatively big. I'm just not sure that it's really the right thing to do. That's where you guys come in.

This is a family of 6, and the father is an ob/gyn. The mother is a teacher. They have 4 kids, two of which are the same ages as my daughters. What I'm really worried about is that this might be a family who would have attention brought to them they may not want.

I know they've come to our town and have been through a house hunt, so my thought was that if I could get people throughout our community to participate in a housewarming, it wouldn't be so much of an "in your face" charity event where the family would feel somewhat smaller for taking so much from strangers. I'm just thinking about how much it costs to put simple things like garbage cans in bathrooms, purchase cleaning supplies, and stock the pantry cabinets with spices. That's on top of the cost of replacing a home and completely starting over.

What do you think? I know it would be a huge success, but I just don't want to add insult to this family's life.

 

[dixipixi]

I think that's a wonderful idea!!!

I don't know where you're located, but down here it is very customary to at least have a "welcome party", so I don't think they would be offended at all.

If you were going to have a group of people assembled to welcome them...I would make it as much like a party as possible. We're very comfortable in a party situation. That would make it feel less like a charity event.

I'm sure they would be happy with a warm hug and a genuine welcome to your town. As much as we've been through, I think it would be doubly tragic to have to leave your life behind. The move will require a lot of adjustment and it would mean a lot to know you had friends to lean on.

I hope everything goes well. Don't worry about offending them...we're not easily offended or embarrased (hey, we fight each other for plastic beads once a year!!!! )

 

[Rafiki Rafiki Rafiki]

bumping for more opinions, please

 

[TayBai2]

We have two people at work that lived on the coast and lost everything. One is moving into a house and the other is sheetrocking theirs. We have decided to have a BBQ for them and on the invitations we are specifing certain rooms on then invitations for them to buy something for. For the kitchen they can silverware, toaster, trash can, anything we are even including outside for a room that way they can get rakes, shovels, flowers, etc. This way they will get stuff for every room. Since these families lost everything they need everything! I think helping is a great idea!!

 

[roseprincess]

I think it's a great idea, too! Do the kids need clothes? You can gather people to donate gently used clothes. Maybe even buy some toilet articles, ie. bars of soap, body wash, toothbrushes, toothpaste, etc. Maybe wrap up the things you are buying so they can open them and be surprised!
Sometimes the small simple things are the most appreciated!

My church had and stilll have groups going down to New Orleans and Waveland,MS to help set up trailer homes and supply the small things in those trailer homes as a housewarming thing. A friend of mine was down there in early Dec. in Waveland, MS and participated getting a trailer home set up and wrapping up clothing and toilet articles for a certain family. The family was very appreciative.

Rosemarie

 

[Rafiki Rafiki Rafiki]

I saw where Anderson Cooper was down in Waveland yesterday. It's almost like the American public just sent some cash to goodness-knows-where and some clothing and other articles...and it never got to the people who needed it.

My DH is an Air Force pilot instructor, and he flew to an airport in Hope, Arkansas last month. He saw the thousands and thousands of vacant mobile homes down there at the FEMA storage facility.

Meanwhile, people are still living with friends and family...and in tents everywhere. I just can't even believe it's all still happening. It's surreal.