A letter from my friend Nessa from the Astrodome
Hey all,
This is long, so, might wanna grab a drink before you read this! lol
I just got back from the Houston Astrodome after being there for a couple of days and thought I'd share my little bitty slice of the experience...because whatever they are saying on the news, I didn't see any of it in the entire time I was there yesterday or today!
There are thousands of people lined up in rows of cots, just milling around killing time, yes. But they all are civil, thankful, reluctant to make eye contact with the volunteers...just people! A lot of children and elderly men. They are generally your basic 'homeless' crowd in any given neighborhood, really. It's no different. Except now they are being housed and fed and clothed instead of truly living on the street having to resort to begging for all of the above. The sick are being treated, the willing are being offered work and the children are being educated.
School started today for the thousands of kids that are now registered into the Harris County system. And the adults are being 'registered' in an attempt to identify everyone. (www.cnn.com/safe I believe is the largest list going right now, if you are trying to find someone.)
Here's how it worked when I was there. They have all the volunteers sit in a group about every 1/2 hour as a new group comes in the door, then they brief them (wash your hands a lot, use the sanitizer provided everywhere, wear the gloves provided everywhere, etc.) then move them to the next 'station' where tasks are announced and you just join the group for the task you'd like to perform. (i.e. computer set up, furniture moving to set up more camp areas, trash pick up, truck unloading, "who can type?", etc.)
My friend, Diane, and I went with the 'warehouse detail' and sorted about 20 boxes of clothes (there were probably a hundred or more volunteers in the warehouse at the time) that had been dropped of by one of the bazillion drop-off facilities from around town. There's 7k ppl in one part of the building, another 7k in another part, and another 15k in the main part of the dome.
Then there's a 'warehouse' part where all the donations are dropped off and volunteers sort them by clothing, food, household items, etc. Then more volunteers just pick up any box in any designated area (say toys, for example) and sort them even farther down -- i.e. baby toys, junior toys, teen toys, etc. That just goes on for box after box after box...never ending. The donations are pouring in all the time. Food, water, materials, just everything!
Some scarce things are pillows. And mens pajamas. And bras. ? But pillows are the most requested thing and are hard to come by. Gotta get that out to the media, somehow.
Former Pres. George Bush and wife, Barbara drove by in the motorcade right in front of Diane and I as we were walking in. I saw Barbara leaning over talking into George's ear. :) It was kinda cool. We're pretty sure Clinton and Sen. Obama were in the SUV behind them. Oprah had been there already today. John Travolta is rumored to be stopping in soon. Lots of stars coming and going. Quite a few film crews in there, but not easily identified as to who they are filming for. They make us go through a 10 minute 'briefing' (mostly about safety) and are firm that under no circumstances are photographs allowed anywhere in the facility. So...needless to say..I won't have any pictures to share of THIS experience!
The first part of the building where they first set up 'camp' is the least organized. The second and third parts are much 'prettier' and organized. There's the 'sleeping' section (alphabetized rows of cots), then there's the 'dining' section (looks like a cafeteria with no walls). And, there's a row of tables separating the volunteers from the 'guests' (as we are asked to call them now). The guests line up and one at a time come up to the table and make a list of 'needed items' that a volunteer takes back to the warehouse and 'shops' for them. Then returns to the desk and that person goes back to their bunk with, oh, say clean underwear and socks and pajamas, etc.
Food is served cafeteria style..by volunteers..at scheduled times during the day. Very organized. Very civil. There's plenty of food for everyone. Water is distributed all day long by volunteers. Or sodas, if there is some around.
It's just endless. There's an endless influx of donations and an endless line of volunteers. No one - volunteer or guest - seems to raise their voice about anything at all. Everyone speaks softly and laughs often. There are little groups of cops around all over the place...just chatting amongst themselves mostly. A lot of semi trucks and just big trucks still rolling in even at 6:30pm when we were leaving. It really is organized chaos.
Diane had brought some school supplies in her back pack into the 'housing area'...and a baseball glove and baseball. We spot this little boy on the second tier (it's dark up here...good place to get some sleep, as some are doing on the cots on this level.) bouncing a tennis ball up against a wall. We look behind him to see where his family is...there's his older sister (maybe 12 years old) sitting in the bleachers with all their belongings in garbage bags around her. Diane gives him the glove and baseball and he quietly says "thank you, ma'am" and runs over to his sister to show her. So we walk over to his sister and ask them thier names and how old they are and do they need anything and where are their parents -- knowing we'll not remember the details because of the volume of people that we'll encounter this day, but still, you can't help but want to know, even just for the moment, what their story is. Diane gives the girl the school supplies as we ask them when they think they'll go to school again. The little boy chimes in with a huge smile and says, "Tomorrow! Tuesday. We start on Tuesday!" And big sister smiles too and says, "Yeah, tomorrow we get to go to school again."
I thought I'd feel small, like whatever I did really wouldn't make a difference to anyone...but, it doesn't feel like that at all. It just feels like we're all in the same Army - there's the born leaders and the born followers and everyone seems to know who's who so the job just keeps getting done -- even knowing the whole time that as soon as you finish sorting this here, there's more right over there and then even more being brought in while you aren't looking. It's shift work. And I'm just 'filling in' 'til the next shift takes over. And as soon as you turn from helping one person, there's about 25 more just looking for someone to answer a question for them, point them in the right direction to the bathroom or the front door! It's pretty cool. And hard to believe that the whole thing is working this smoothly in such a short amount of time. Pretty amazing when you grasp the quantity and quality of life these guests have had.
There are phones for anyone to call anywhere -- lots of phones -- there are computer stations where people can ask to have their names put on one of those "found" lists that are all over the internet now -- there's a "general announcement / pa" table & system where the announcements are made for the guests to meet their "ride" at such and such gate. A lot of people are still finding relatives to come and get them out of the dome, so all day long that's what you hear on the PA system -- "Smith family, your ride is at gate 12". So you see that outside the dome -- folks loading up their pick-up with a couple of garbage bags of the guests' belongings and off they go!
Today, as I drove up to the Dome, the announcement sign reads "No more donations accepted here". And then I go in for my daily briefing and sit and wait to join a 'helping group', I find out that the reason no more donations are being taken in at the Dome is because they are running out of room to store it all. Not only is the American public giving material items more than anyone ever expected, but it is also evident that the need for volunteers is at a minimum today! Since Thursday, they have logged in over 35,000 volunteers at the Astrodome?!!! That's more volunteers than evacuees!!! Everything that is going on there is being done by volunteers - from the signing in of the volunteers AND evacuees, to the safety briefings, to the distribution of all supplies, to the medical care...everything is being done by the volunteers. So, they asked that if anyone knew of any other places that they could help (i.e. local Red Cross, Salvation Army, donation drop off points, blood banks, etc.) to please go to those places and help there now. Especially people like me who have traveled from someplace else to help out.
While in the housing area yesterday, I noticed a sign (everything is hand written with marker on whatever cardboard can be found) that says "Deaf Section". And today, as I walk up to the Volunteer registration area from the parking lot, a lady and her friend ask me where to go to volunteer. So I invite them to follow me and I see the one lady using sign language to the other...so I ask if they are hearing impaired and do they read lips? One reads lips and they both sign, she tells me. So, knowing there's a 'community' (for lack of a better term) of deaf guests, I escort them through the volunteer sign up process and scout out someone who looks like they can help and I let them know that these two ladies have special skills and ask where they could be most helpful. We hug and wave goodbye as they are escorted over to the 'hospital' section where there's a desperate need for signers!
So, needless to say, me with my 'not so special skills', I went over to the warehouse and just helped 'shop' for a few hours and decided my time might be better served in Killeen with local efforts. Red Cross, here I come! :)
I just thought it's necessary for some of us who aren't trying to enhance the TV ratings to try to spread the word that what's happening in our backyard is not a freak show and is hardly 'must see TV'. The 'must see TV' story is about a nation coming together on a moment's notice to act like a family and take care of their own. Forget politics, forget the media -- we, the people.... we ARE what makes this country the greatest nation in the world. Cliche and boring as that sounds...I am so proud to be one tiny little person in this huge American family we call the USA.
And, as always, remember to hope for peace so our Soldiers can come home...to this huge American family.
*hugs*
Nessa
!
This is long, so, might wanna grab a drink before you read this! lol
I just got back from the Houston Astrodome after being there for a couple of days and thought I'd share my little bitty slice of the experience...because whatever they are saying on the news, I didn't see any of it in the entire time I was there yesterday or today!
There are thousands of people lined up in rows of cots, just milling around killing time, yes. But they all are civil, thankful, reluctant to make eye contact with the volunteers...just people! A lot of children and elderly men. They are generally your basic 'homeless' crowd in any given neighborhood, really. It's no different. Except now they are being housed and fed and clothed instead of truly living on the street having to resort to begging for all of the above. The sick are being treated, the willing are being offered work and the children are being educated.
School started today for the thousands of kids that are now registered into the Harris County system. And the adults are being 'registered' in an attempt to identify everyone. (www.cnn.com/safe I believe is the largest list going right now, if you are trying to find someone.)
Here's how it worked when I was there. They have all the volunteers sit in a group about every 1/2 hour as a new group comes in the door, then they brief them (wash your hands a lot, use the sanitizer provided everywhere, wear the gloves provided everywhere, etc.) then move them to the next 'station' where tasks are announced and you just join the group for the task you'd like to perform. (i.e. computer set up, furniture moving to set up more camp areas, trash pick up, truck unloading, "who can type?", etc.)
My friend, Diane, and I went with the 'warehouse detail' and sorted about 20 boxes of clothes (there were probably a hundred or more volunteers in the warehouse at the time) that had been dropped of by one of the bazillion drop-off facilities from around town. There's 7k ppl in one part of the building, another 7k in another part, and another 15k in the main part of the dome.
Then there's a 'warehouse' part where all the donations are dropped off and volunteers sort them by clothing, food, household items, etc. Then more volunteers just pick up any box in any designated area (say toys, for example) and sort them even farther down -- i.e. baby toys, junior toys, teen toys, etc. That just goes on for box after box after box...never ending. The donations are pouring in all the time. Food, water, materials, just everything!
Some scarce things are pillows. And mens pajamas. And bras. ? But pillows are the most requested thing and are hard to come by. Gotta get that out to the media, somehow.
Former Pres. George Bush and wife, Barbara drove by in the motorcade right in front of Diane and I as we were walking in. I saw Barbara leaning over talking into George's ear. :) It was kinda cool. We're pretty sure Clinton and Sen. Obama were in the SUV behind them. Oprah had been there already today. John Travolta is rumored to be stopping in soon. Lots of stars coming and going. Quite a few film crews in there, but not easily identified as to who they are filming for. They make us go through a 10 minute 'briefing' (mostly about safety) and are firm that under no circumstances are photographs allowed anywhere in the facility. So...needless to say..I won't have any pictures to share of THIS experience!
The first part of the building where they first set up 'camp' is the least organized. The second and third parts are much 'prettier' and organized. There's the 'sleeping' section (alphabetized rows of cots), then there's the 'dining' section (looks like a cafeteria with no walls). And, there's a row of tables separating the volunteers from the 'guests' (as we are asked to call them now). The guests line up and one at a time come up to the table and make a list of 'needed items' that a volunteer takes back to the warehouse and 'shops' for them. Then returns to the desk and that person goes back to their bunk with, oh, say clean underwear and socks and pajamas, etc.
Food is served cafeteria style..by volunteers..at scheduled times during the day. Very organized. Very civil. There's plenty of food for everyone. Water is distributed all day long by volunteers. Or sodas, if there is some around.
It's just endless. There's an endless influx of donations and an endless line of volunteers. No one - volunteer or guest - seems to raise their voice about anything at all. Everyone speaks softly and laughs often. There are little groups of cops around all over the place...just chatting amongst themselves mostly. A lot of semi trucks and just big trucks still rolling in even at 6:30pm when we were leaving. It really is organized chaos.
Diane had brought some school supplies in her back pack into the 'housing area'...and a baseball glove and baseball. We spot this little boy on the second tier (it's dark up here...good place to get some sleep, as some are doing on the cots on this level.) bouncing a tennis ball up against a wall. We look behind him to see where his family is...there's his older sister (maybe 12 years old) sitting in the bleachers with all their belongings in garbage bags around her. Diane gives him the glove and baseball and he quietly says "thank you, ma'am" and runs over to his sister to show her. So we walk over to his sister and ask them thier names and how old they are and do they need anything and where are their parents -- knowing we'll not remember the details because of the volume of people that we'll encounter this day, but still, you can't help but want to know, even just for the moment, what their story is. Diane gives the girl the school supplies as we ask them when they think they'll go to school again. The little boy chimes in with a huge smile and says, "Tomorrow! Tuesday. We start on Tuesday!" And big sister smiles too and says, "Yeah, tomorrow we get to go to school again."
I thought I'd feel small, like whatever I did really wouldn't make a difference to anyone...but, it doesn't feel like that at all. It just feels like we're all in the same Army - there's the born leaders and the born followers and everyone seems to know who's who so the job just keeps getting done -- even knowing the whole time that as soon as you finish sorting this here, there's more right over there and then even more being brought in while you aren't looking. It's shift work. And I'm just 'filling in' 'til the next shift takes over. And as soon as you turn from helping one person, there's about 25 more just looking for someone to answer a question for them, point them in the right direction to the bathroom or the front door! It's pretty cool. And hard to believe that the whole thing is working this smoothly in such a short amount of time. Pretty amazing when you grasp the quantity and quality of life these guests have had.
There are phones for anyone to call anywhere -- lots of phones -- there are computer stations where people can ask to have their names put on one of those "found" lists that are all over the internet now -- there's a "general announcement / pa" table & system where the announcements are made for the guests to meet their "ride" at such and such gate. A lot of people are still finding relatives to come and get them out of the dome, so all day long that's what you hear on the PA system -- "Smith family, your ride is at gate 12". So you see that outside the dome -- folks loading up their pick-up with a couple of garbage bags of the guests' belongings and off they go!
Today, as I drove up to the Dome, the announcement sign reads "No more donations accepted here". And then I go in for my daily briefing and sit and wait to join a 'helping group', I find out that the reason no more donations are being taken in at the Dome is because they are running out of room to store it all. Not only is the American public giving material items more than anyone ever expected, but it is also evident that the need for volunteers is at a minimum today! Since Thursday, they have logged in over 35,000 volunteers at the Astrodome?!!! That's more volunteers than evacuees!!! Everything that is going on there is being done by volunteers - from the signing in of the volunteers AND evacuees, to the safety briefings, to the distribution of all supplies, to the medical care...everything is being done by the volunteers. So, they asked that if anyone knew of any other places that they could help (i.e. local Red Cross, Salvation Army, donation drop off points, blood banks, etc.) to please go to those places and help there now. Especially people like me who have traveled from someplace else to help out.
While in the housing area yesterday, I noticed a sign (everything is hand written with marker on whatever cardboard can be found) that says "Deaf Section". And today, as I walk up to the Volunteer registration area from the parking lot, a lady and her friend ask me where to go to volunteer. So I invite them to follow me and I see the one lady using sign language to the other...so I ask if they are hearing impaired and do they read lips? One reads lips and they both sign, she tells me. So, knowing there's a 'community' (for lack of a better term) of deaf guests, I escort them through the volunteer sign up process and scout out someone who looks like they can help and I let them know that these two ladies have special skills and ask where they could be most helpful. We hug and wave goodbye as they are escorted over to the 'hospital' section where there's a desperate need for signers!
So, needless to say, me with my 'not so special skills', I went over to the warehouse and just helped 'shop' for a few hours and decided my time might be better served in Killeen with local efforts. Red Cross, here I come! :)
I just thought it's necessary for some of us who aren't trying to enhance the TV ratings to try to spread the word that what's happening in our backyard is not a freak show and is hardly 'must see TV'. The 'must see TV' story is about a nation coming together on a moment's notice to act like a family and take care of their own. Forget politics, forget the media -- we, the people.... we ARE what makes this country the greatest nation in the world. Cliche and boring as that sounds...I am so proud to be one tiny little person in this huge American family we call the USA.
And, as always, remember to hope for peace so our Soldiers can come home...to this huge American family.
*hugs*
Nessa
!
posted by Joi, who else? @ 1:35 PM
1 Comments:
At September 07, 2005 6:59 PM,
aughra said…
Oh, so it is better off, like Barbara Bush said? Just kidding. Read more about that at my friend Tigerita's page :
http://tigerita.blogspot.com/
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