Hope in Gulfport, Mississippi

Note: The following appeal is now closed.  You can support our ongoing work by donating to the Canadian Red Cross

 

By Mary Ferguson, Canadian Red Cross volunteer working in Gulfport, Mississippi 
September 8, 2005

The buzz of chainsaws and car horns are sounds of hope for the citizens of Gulfport, Mississippi. A signal that rescue and relief efforts have shifted to rebuilding in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Many residents in this gulfside neighborhood have stayed in their wind-ripped homes. Wet clothing, rugs and household items dry on the fences.  Downed trees litter the streets and power lines dangle from poles. While hydro crews work to restore electricity, residents search for information, medicine and meals.

American Red Cross volunteers have brought 5.4 million hot meals and a sympathetic ear to residents affected by the hurricane.  When a single mom with two kids sees the Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicle, she  comes over to find out how she can get a tetanus shot to deal with the rash spreading over her arms and legs. She and her kids have lost part of their house but one bedroom is intact.

“The kids are getting anxious because there is nothing to do. But we’re okay, we have our house and some food for now. But we heard that we will be getting additional food stamps and I’m trying to find out where to go for that,” she said.

Neighbours come to Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) to take meals to elderly citizens unable to walk. The pastor of the Baptist church where the ERV is parked smiles and says all is well but he is worried about the two elderly women who lived across from the church. Their modest wood houses are now gaping wrecks with soaked furniture and broken glass littering the lawns. 

“Most of our people are fine but there are some elderly people who need a lot of help trying to clean up the mess and get a place to live.” said the pastor. “But we’ll take care of them.”

Since the onset of the disaster, American Red Cross has housed almost 159,000 survivors in nearly 650 shelters across 17 states.  At the local high school, the American Red Cross operated a shelter for thousands in the first week but now residents are filtering  back to their homes or packing up to move to other cities across the United States.

The school secretary tears up when she talks about her roof being damaged and her concerns about when the next pay check for she or her husband will occur. But she quickly adds, “we are a lot better off than most people.”