tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10838182.post112545753607104788..comments2023-10-31T05:56:45.788-07:00Comments on LutheranChik's "L" Word Diary: The Quality of MercyUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10838182.post-1125591414543365092005-09-01T09:16:00.000-07:002005-09-01T09:16:00.000-07:00For anyone whose places of employment are thinking...For anyone whose places of employment are thinking of making contributions to flood relief...we have an in-house charitable fund where I work that we usually use to respond to local needs...we have little fundraisers all year and give small donations directly to families that our employees know about who are having a rough time. Anyhow, because of this disaster we are having a Taco Day, with all donated food, today for lunch, with the proceeds going to the Red Cross. This is such an easy fundraiser, and depending on your number of employees, you can raise a lot of money. We have one household that donates a roaster of taco meat; everyone else chips in for the shells, cheese, veggies, salsa, etc. It takes about a half-hour to set up and take down. We just have a donation can and let people contribute whatever they want for their meal. We usually have a separate bake sale in conjunction too.LutheranChikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02685566332651377907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10838182.post-1125585728585129152005-09-01T07:42:00.000-07:002005-09-01T07:42:00.000-07:00I can tell you that efforts are underway to find "...I can tell you that efforts are underway to find "real" housing for the folks being taken to the Astrodome. FEMA has rented pretty much every available apartment here in Baton Rouge, and probably in Lafayette as well. Every RV in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma has been rented as well (I know because we are trying to find some for our employees now, and are currently looking at Tennessee and Kentucky).<BR/><BR/>The problem is simply that hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced, and for most it will be a long-term thing. I know that if I ever get power back on in my apartment (it's been off for three days now and may not be on until next week), I will have some of our employees staying in my living room.<BR/><BR/>The enormity of this is just overwhelming.<BR/><BR/>You are right about the poverty angle, though. It was the Ninth Ward where most of the folks were not evacuated. That is the city's poorest area.Sherylhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17047910532698169213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10838182.post-1125571663340655772005-09-01T03:47:00.000-07:002005-09-01T03:47:00.000-07:00J.C. Funny you should mention that...(post to com...J.C. Funny you should mention that...(post to come)LutheranChikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02685566332651377907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10838182.post-1125548686511868262005-08-31T21:24:00.000-07:002005-08-31T21:24:00.000-07:00What gets me, is how---despite the obvious staring...What gets me, is how---despite the obvious staring us smack in the face---the reality of the <B>politics of race and poverty</B> is being flat-out ignored by the media/politicians/Powers That Be.<BR/><BR/>Who's looting? Well, who the heck got <B>left behind?</B>* Abandoned?<BR/><BR/>The final straw for me, was hearing about those who had to go through the HELL of enduring Katrina in the leaking/putrid Superdome, were now to be moved, <I>en masse</I> (and with no imput from them) to the Houston <B>Astrodome</B>.<BR/><BR/>In God's Name, WTF??? (It's one thing to use a sports stadium as a <B>storm shelter</B>, but as long-term housing?) More power to *any* survivor there who says <I>"Screw the Astrodome---take this bus to the Houston <B>Hilton</B>, muthaf***as!"</I><BR/><BR/>I swear, this is <B>obscene</B> as the 9/11 Compensation Fund, valuing a stock trader's life at umpteen times a <B>busboy's</B>!!!<BR/><BR/>At what point, is a hurricane-survivor, a hurricane-survivor? That a person who was homeless <I>before</I> Katrina, has every bit as much right to get "a roof over their heads" as someone who only became homeless <I>by</I> Katrina?<BR/><BR/>At what point is a human being, a human being?<BR/><BR/>*It wouldn't surprise me if some CR wingnuts looked on the Nawlins <I>Left-Behind</I> in the same way they did the tsunami victims: heathen, deserving destruction. :-(Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10838182.post-1125536481578589762005-08-31T18:01:00.000-07:002005-08-31T18:01:00.000-07:00Tonight I saw film footage of a food warehouse who...Tonight I saw film footage of a food warehouse whose owner was voluntarily opening his business to people needing food. Someone who finally <I>gets</I> it.LutheranChikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02685566332651377907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10838182.post-1125500428183951562005-08-31T08:00:00.000-07:002005-08-31T08:00:00.000-07:00We were talking about that today at work. Our off...We were talking about that today at work. Our office has power, but none of our homes do.<BR/><BR/>For the rest of the US, this is just another news story. A huge an tragic one to be sure, but just one among many.<BR/><BR/>Here in South Louisana, we are able to put a face with the news story. There are 67,000 refugees in Baton Rouge alone. <BR/><BR/>All I can say is that it is terrifying, devastating, and awesome (in a bad way).Sherylhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17047910532698169213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10838182.post-1125488174285783852005-08-31T04:36:00.000-07:002005-08-31T04:36:00.000-07:00Well said. What good are soggy Pampers to anyone?A...Well said. What good are soggy Pampers to anyone?<BR/>And perhaps this will be a lesson to those who have and control resources that evacuation is for the already secure, unless other arrangements are made.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08235049965406944684noreply@blogger.com