Volunteers from Amish to 60's-style hippies fill the gap as FEMA Fails

[kpete]

Amid ruins, volunteers are emerging as heroes
By Anne Rochell Konigsmark and Rick Hampson, USA TODAY
Thu Dec 22, 7:22 AM ET

In his 67 years, Howard Peterson had never seen a Mennonite. But 11 days before Christmas he stood in the ruins of his kitchen, watching a crew of them gut and clean his flood-ravaged house.

Peterson is a retired African-American barber who lives on disability payments. His eyes are sad, his movement listless, his voice weak. His helpers were strapping white men from Lancaster County, Pa., dressed in dark pants, collared shirts, suspenders and black straw hats.


Peterson and his wife couldn't afford to pay a contractor several thousand dollars to gut the one-story house, which sat in water for weeks after Hurricane Katrina inundated the working-class Gentilly district. So Peterson, who looks too frail to do spring cleaning, began trying to clear out the house himself. Then the Mennonites came by and offered a hand.


"I can't thank them enough," he says. But he also wonders when the professionals - city, state and federal agencies - will do their part. "They should be trying to repair the city."

The Gulf Coast in general and New Orleans in particular have at times felt abandoned by the American government. But they haven't been abandoned by Americans, who have volunteered by the thousands to clear out houses, collect trash, fight mold, cover roofs, feed the hungry, tend to the sick and help in any way they can. Now, as disaster relief gives way to rebuilding, volunteers are renovating and constructing homes, restocking libraries, surveying historic structures, tracking down voters and helping communities plan for the future.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/20051222/ts_usatoday/amidruinsvolunteersareemergingasheroes

[Moochy]

1. Some visual aids

and

[SoCalDem]

2. This is a heartwarming story, BUT

the generosity of individuals is no exchange for a well-coordinated, well-funded approach to national disasters. The WH is sitting back waiting for individuals to fill the gap, and then cxan say.."see how much better faith-based" works?"

The govt has DELIBERATELY failed to do their job, and are content to leave the suffering people relying on Kismet.

[WhiteTara]

5. grover norquist's bath tub

now we know what a drowned government looks like.

[Raster]

11. I know a bathtub that had norquist's name on it. I'd be willing...

to hold him under.

[WhiteTara]

21. I'll keep the water running so

the tub will remain full.

[The Backlash Cometh]

9. But SoCalDem, a well-funded, well coordinated approach to

handle the devastation of a national disaster is a Democratic idea. Do you think the Dems will be wise enough to capitalize on the Republican's stumble here?

[sandnsea]

15. Yes they have

Corporations and charities, Rah Privatization!! Sadly, the very people who need to see this are buying into the bullshit instead.

[babylonsister]

3. Those that have a heart, do. Recommended for the

grace of these saviors, and to point out another of the many failings of FEMA.

[bettyellen]

4. This is why we need to wiretap these people, they make FEMA look bad!

[Payne]

6. Good luck wiretapping the Amish

[bettyellen]

7. well, they could send harrison ford back to infiltrate them....

and he could score a hot babe like kelly macgillis, while saving us from those ultra dangerous peaceniks.

[katinmn]

8. That is one excellent family photo, Payne!

:rofl:

[greiner3]

10. The dick;

Is flashing the 'read between the lines'. Soon, he'll get his all right!

[BrotherBuzz]

14. Actually they are Mennonites and they do use telephones....

as long as there are no geegaws attached and they are your basic black telephone model (rotary dial is a plus).

Nevertheless, your timely humor is not lost on me. Welcome to DU.

[Ksec]

12. Youre doin a Heck of a job , Brownie

And with all those anti US hippies and Quakers, Im surprised anythings gettin' done down there.

:)

[EFerrari]

13. So, how do we find out FEMA's budget? I want to know

how much we're paying these criminals to destroy what is left of the Guld Coast.

[fortyfeetunder]

16. Reality: get used to this

We have confirmed this fall that our federal government can and will fall short on coordinating through natural disasters. I am glad those volunteers are able to help, and they deserve kudos for their generosity.

So, whatever it takes, have a plan to take care of oneself, the family and to possibly help others. It's as simple as that.

[CottonBear]

17. There was a DU post about Rainbow People & Baptists helping the victims

of Katrina. They organized a food tent and a free flea market type of store where families and individuals could get clothes, household supplies and toys. It was such a nice story. The two groups had more in common than they thought! :)

[Lydia Leftcoast]

18. And the Episcopalians have one such center set up in Mississippi

In fact, a group from my church is going down there to volunteer the first week in January. We'll be sleeping on cots in a school gym and either distributing supplies or helping clear debris.

There's also a center in New Orleans, but we're going to the one on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

[CottonBear]

19. That's wonderful! Thanks for helping. The Gulf Coast needs so much now.

My husband's family lives in the NOLA area, mostly in St. Tammany Parish. He's a NOLA native who moved to Slidell, LA in grade school. Thankfully, his sister's home was not in a flooded or storm surge area. However, her roof still is not repaired. She is luckier than many other people. I was surpriswed to find a florist open in Slidell today when I called to order flowers for my sister-in-law! They said they opened at the end of October after having 5 feet of water in the shop.

Peace. CB

[EFerrari]

20. kick