DukeStreetKing
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2004
- Messages
- 2,644
Here's another email from a woman in my firm regarding Hurricane Charley's aftermath and the relief effort. It touched me so I thought I would share it.
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You guys are so generous! We received 2 trailers full of supplies PLUS over $6o0 in monetary donations. I bought all kinds of things Friday night: rakes (which were a big hit), work gloves, rain ponchos, bug spray, hammers, duct tape, can openers, tarps, bath towels, pillows, sheets, bleach, buckets, lots of trash bags, etc. In addition to filling the 2 trailers, we also filled my Jeep Cherokee to the brim!
Chris Hamilton, Joey Spinks, his wife, Hannya, my husband, Lorne & I left at 5:30 AM Saturday morning to head to Arcadia. We had kind of a scary moment when we had exited to stop off at McDonalds. Lorne and I had already eaten so we went next door to the gas station. There we saw our trailer tire was suddenly flat. We pulled over to put air in the tire and discovered the steel belt sticking out all over the tire!!! I cant imagine what would have happened it we had continued going 70 MPH on the interstate with that heavy trailer.
Luckily, Lorne, at the last minute felt compelled to load our spare trailer tire!! There were definitely angels watching over us that morning!!!!
As we were arriving into town, we could see the damage increase from crooked poles and broken limbs to 100 yr old oak trees blown over like twigs and houses lifted off their foundations. The devastation was overwhelming!
We started out in a neighborhood that was hard hit by the storm, but most people there had already been visited by others with supplies and were fairly well stocked. They were very gracious and wanted to be sure to only take what they absolutely needed. Joey had arranged with Flowers Bakery to donate palates of bread. That was a welcome treat.
They did ask us to check on an elderly couple down the road the couple was very thankful and took some ice and Gatorade.
I remember the sadness in the eyes of one lady. She had just gotten back in town the night before and was in shock at the 1st daylight sight of her home and neighborhood. Her voice was shaking. We tried to be as consoling as we could. I was glad that one of her neighbors was there to offer comfort once we left.
Next, we went out to the areas where the migrant workers live. Just like the pictures you have been seeing in the papers and on TV, many of these homes were reduced to piles of rubble. Then there would be a mobile home with maybe minor roof damage right next door! It is amazing how this storm would seem to pick and choose its victims.
Once again, the families would take only what they needed. I commonly heard statements like No, we dont need that save it for those more needy than us . That coming from a family that had no roof!!
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You guys are so generous! We received 2 trailers full of supplies PLUS over $6o0 in monetary donations. I bought all kinds of things Friday night: rakes (which were a big hit), work gloves, rain ponchos, bug spray, hammers, duct tape, can openers, tarps, bath towels, pillows, sheets, bleach, buckets, lots of trash bags, etc. In addition to filling the 2 trailers, we also filled my Jeep Cherokee to the brim!
Chris Hamilton, Joey Spinks, his wife, Hannya, my husband, Lorne & I left at 5:30 AM Saturday morning to head to Arcadia. We had kind of a scary moment when we had exited to stop off at McDonalds. Lorne and I had already eaten so we went next door to the gas station. There we saw our trailer tire was suddenly flat. We pulled over to put air in the tire and discovered the steel belt sticking out all over the tire!!! I cant imagine what would have happened it we had continued going 70 MPH on the interstate with that heavy trailer.
Luckily, Lorne, at the last minute felt compelled to load our spare trailer tire!! There were definitely angels watching over us that morning!!!!
As we were arriving into town, we could see the damage increase from crooked poles and broken limbs to 100 yr old oak trees blown over like twigs and houses lifted off their foundations. The devastation was overwhelming!
We started out in a neighborhood that was hard hit by the storm, but most people there had already been visited by others with supplies and were fairly well stocked. They were very gracious and wanted to be sure to only take what they absolutely needed. Joey had arranged with Flowers Bakery to donate palates of bread. That was a welcome treat.
They did ask us to check on an elderly couple down the road the couple was very thankful and took some ice and Gatorade.
I remember the sadness in the eyes of one lady. She had just gotten back in town the night before and was in shock at the 1st daylight sight of her home and neighborhood. Her voice was shaking. We tried to be as consoling as we could. I was glad that one of her neighbors was there to offer comfort once we left.
Next, we went out to the areas where the migrant workers live. Just like the pictures you have been seeing in the papers and on TV, many of these homes were reduced to piles of rubble. Then there would be a mobile home with maybe minor roof damage right next door! It is amazing how this storm would seem to pick and choose its victims.
Once again, the families would take only what they needed. I commonly heard statements like No, we dont need that save it for those more needy than us . That coming from a family that had no roof!!
