Don't know how to title this

Hi everyone:

 

I'm sorry but I didn't know how to make a title for this post.

Everything sounds so cliche.

 

I live in south Florida and felt the whisper of Katrina's wrath when

she was but an infant.

 

I have been trying to think of a way to help these people in the

south, but I don't have any monetary means to speak of. The Red Cross

is telling folks who want to help to stay out of the area. All they

can use/want is monetary resources.

 

I have been living in the south for 14 years and although I am from

California ... these are my people. I need to help them.

 

Is there any way that you can think of, or anything that you think I

might be able to do to help these folks (I paint, write and

photograph)? At this time I'm not at all interested in monetary gain

or business prospects. Indeed my business savvy is not what it should

be. All that I have to offer these people is my clothes and my art.

Lol ... I have a lot of outdated clothes and a lot of new art.

 

Sorry to sound so pathetic but my heart is hurting bad. If you know

of any creative ways that I may be able to help produce more money to

help these people, I would be ever-grateful to you.

 

That's all I can think of to say. Please email me if you have ideas.

 

Gloria

 

gloria@gloriahopkins.com

Maybe a local church or the community college (art department?) can offer to have a sidewalk art festival, with all or a portion of the receipts being sent to the Red Cross?

 

 

 

All the highways into Mississippi and Louisiana (near the Gulf of Mexico) are 'wacked' and not possible to travel over. Same for the railroad bridge into the Biloxi, Mississippi, area.

Auction some prints and send the proceeds to red cross. Maybe you could get with other artists and have a "Artists Help the Blues" auction night at a local community center.

If you or anyone manages to set something up like that let me know and I'll send a print or 2 your way.

Don't beat up on yourself if you feel powerless to help much.America is the wealthiest nation on earth, BY FAR, and inspite of an insensitive retard as a "leader," resourses are being mobilized, and as soon as the bureaucratic logjam is broken, the surviving victims will be served.

From the news there are plenty of folks doing their best under the circumstances, but right now what they need is time and patience, and some reasonable amount of security. What is really needed is longterm help for the displaced people who don't have the resources to wait out the rebuilding process, and that's where the Red Cross, Salvation Army and other organization (and we) can help to provide them the food, shelter, clothes to get by until they can return and recover.

 

As someone, said, we're the number one country to help in times of devastation (us not necessarily the government, but it helps too). I suspect Congress will pass a bill to help everyone to some degree, so it's safe to say your tax dollars are already helping the agencies involved in the recovery and will help with the longterm recovery. We shouldn't forget everyone is already contributing through their taxes funding government programs and agencies. And many people contribute through payroll deductions to organization already there.

 

I would suggest supporting the organzizations you believe will help them over the longer term to rebuild their homes, businesses, and lives. You can question the sanity of New Orleans being where it's at, and rebuilding the city which is so prone to the same type of disaster over time, but it is a piece of American history. It deserves restoration with some caveats maybe(?). After all, was insurance available, and if so, how many had it? If you're required to have flood insurance for floodplains, why can't they mandate insurance for coastal zones susceptible to hurricanes? I haven't heard about that on the news.

 

Just my personal take on it.

Thanks to all for your support and advice. I will figure out some way to help. It all just looks so overwhelming. And I haven't heard from my friend who lives in SE LA. I'm preoccupied with that and getting very worried.

 

Donald, thanks for offering to help. I will let you know if there is a way you can help. I don't know what I'm going to do yet.

All,

 

We should all pray that our President will open his eyes and realise that our troops are needed here more than in Iraq.

 

We should all pray that the lawlessness stops before it becomes widespread. Looting, followed by gang warfare, is what happens when society decides that the leadership is clueless. It literally becomes, "dog eat dog."

 

best to you all,

Strange __ FEMA has the ability to have 1,400 troops 'delivered' to New Orleans for two or three days running, but to have 500 pallets of water there 'now' is beyond the curve.

I am praying, Bill, harder and more desperately than I have prayed for anything in my life. I'm almost ready to drive up there but I just know that I would be in the way, or turned away. Helpless cannot even begin to explain how I feel about this. Hopefully, finally, today, more relief can be given to these poor people.

 

Many thanks to the moderators for allowing this thread to stay. At the very least I will hold a garage sale and sell some things to raise money. Hopefully, I can get my whole block to participate.

 

Thanks again folks,

Gloria

You can either <a href = "http://largeformatphotography.info/lfforum/topic/503186.html">donate the proceeds of your direct print sales</a>,

or <a href =

"http://largeformatphotography.info/lfforum/topic/503188.html">send out your prints to a gallery that donates the proceeds</a>.

Well- if you do want to contribute something and have go it somewhere where you might see results from your contribution, consider the text I've pasted below. I don't know the family but I am familiar with Herman Leonard's work, you probably are as well, you've seen it maybe you just don't know it. I particularly feel for them due to their situation with their daughter. i have a similar situation and I don't know how I would cope with the loss of my business and having to care for a child that under the best of circumastances is extremely difficult, stressful (and very expensive).

 

Just something to consider:

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Family and Friends,

 

We are writing to you on behalf of the LEONARD FAMILY HELP

FUND.

 

As many of you know, Herman Leonard, Shana Leonard,

Stephen Smith and their daughter India were living in New

Orleans, specifically in the Lakeview area, which is now well

submerged in water in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. They were

able to evacuate the city but their property has been flooded and

their possessions destroyed. They left New Orleans with little

more than the clothes on their back and will have to completely

rebuild their lives.

 

Amongst their possessions is all of India?s expensive medical

equipment. India is severely disabled with cerebral palsy and

microcephaly. Although she is 10 years old, she is not able to

walk, talk or feed herself, and requires 24-hour care. A lot of the

equipment that is used on a daily basis, they were forced to

leave behind and it must be replaced as soon as possible.

 

Many of you have been calling and asking how to help, which

has meant a lot to them. Here is the way: LOVE AND CASH!

(And not necessarily in that order).

 

We have formed the LEONARD FAMILY HELP FUND to assist

them in rebuilding their lives. Please feel free to contribute

generously, but most importantly - no amount is too small.

 

Please make the check payable to:

LEONARD FAMILY HELP FUND

Send To:

Leonard Family Help Fund

c/o Jo Winett

10716 Esther Ave.

Los Angeles, CA 90064

Thanks Quang-Tuan, for the link. I had no idea you had such forums! How wonderful. Your site is like my Bible for learning LF photography. You have been a *tremendous* help to me in general, and wanted to take a second to say "thank you" for everything.

 

Gloria

 

PS: I took your 4x5 step-by-step instructions for beginners on my first solo outing with the Shen-Hao. I was a nervous wreck but the instructions were great and I did very well! The first page, which I made my notes on has gone into my scrapbook. "The Book" is reserved only for the most cherished and special documents :)