I am still in Houston and still as OK as I can be. My office is slowly reconfiguring back in Baton Rouge but there is some question as to whether I have a job or not. I called the President yesterday and said I would get an apt in Baton Rouge if he asked but I needed him to let me know if I should. He said he just didn't know yet and didn't know when he will know. He sounded close to tears. I am sure he is exhausted. I will stay near New Orleans for as long as they are willing to pay me. Once the pay stops I am not sure what will happen. I cannot really see staying here if I don't have a job. I am sure the job markets here are flooded (excuse the pun) and I imagine we will then have to consider the previous plan of going to SC to be with my husband's family and regroup there. I hate the idea of leaving New Orleans but I don't know if there will be anything there to go home to. It is hard to explain the love a New Orleanian has for their city. It is a wonderful place and a very flawed place. But when you are from there you never really leave. My husband and brother and a few other guys are there now. They drove in last night and are assessing damage and seeing if they can get some of our valuables from our homes. Husband just called and said they are on Tulane Campus which still has water but not a lot. Brother and another guy just canoed across Claiborne to try to reach brother's flooded business and possibly our homes which are all in the same neighborhood not far from Tulane. Husband said the people at Tulane have been very friendly and it all seems OK. They took some bottled water with them and have handed out some. I wish we had sent more water and canned food with them. Just didn't think. Husband says there are lots of people there who are saying they are just going to stay and live on bottled water and canned food. And for those of you who are donating to the Red Cross I want you to just stop and wonder "What is the Red Cross doing with your money?" They are getting a LOT of money. What are they doing with it? Husband hasn't seen them yet today. Better to donate to local New Orleans social services organizations which are trying to regroup. A few I know of: Agenda For Children which is a children's advocacy organization (my mother's organization just to be honest), Volunteers of America of Greater New Orleans (my organization), which is trying to find housing for over 120 people with disabilities who have been displaced from their homes. There is also Children's Hospital which is a wonderful organization which is going to have to try to rebuild. There are lots of local churches who will be trying to rebuild their actual buildings while also helping all of the poor people in the community who have nowhere to go but shelters, not much in the way of marketable skills, and no jobs. If you are interested in contact info for any of those organizations let me know. If you are interested in donating to a church of a particular denomination also let me know and I will see if I have a recommendation and contact info.
-- Rachel [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Life without art & music? Keep the arts alive today at Network for Good! http://us.click.yahoo.com/FXrMlA/dnQLAA/Zx0JAA/wnIolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Have you told a friend today? http://bookcrossing.com/tellafriend Archives and email list settings: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BookCrossing Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BookCrossing/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
