The call came in from Plaquemine Care Center in Lousianna that 180 nursing home patients had shown up in the middle of the night, evacuated from New Orleans.We arrived about 30 hours later with enough mattresses (foam and WAFFLE Mattresses) for everyone, and about 10 electric beds, all donated by area hospitals, nursing homes, manufacturers thanks EHOB!) and home care dealers.
We took another load down by the next weekend, two days after we got back and rested, filled with linens and other medical supplies.
We loaded 4 more trucks and coordinated several more, and started the Hancock Cty Indiana to Hancock Cty Mississippi relief effort, which through the great work of Richard Garret (Rotary)and Jim Bradbury (Sheriff's Dept)started a great outpouring of relief.
Gerald and Patty Sobecki continued the relief by organizing the Indianapolis Police Department. They coordinated with a Mississippi policeman we met at a rest stop on our way down for the first trip, and they sent about 4 tractor trailer loads of police and firefighting gear to them.
Some other repurcussions of our trip were that we started a "packed clothing drive,," in other words, a saran wrapped package of clothes, shoes and toiletries for a particular-sized person, with a picture of yourself to help the organizers get the clothes to the right person. This became a national campaign and our idea ended up sending thousands of useful bundles to the area. My Red Cross contact down there said it was an avalanche of care packages. Thanks to my brother-in-law Jim for promoting the idea on the web and Lori Mayfield at St. Michaels for their support.
Another repurcussion was an ostomy product supply chain that started when I contacted a wound care nurse in Baton Rouge, and she was contacted by some nurses from Indiana and then the whole midwest who sent packages of ostomy supplies down.
Jim Spahn donated a brand new computer for a shelter housing hundreds that we took to them so they could look up the status of their loved ones.
Everyone wanted to help. All I had to do was call from the cab of that truck and whatever we needed just appreared. No one could be an atheist and see what I saw of the spirit of giving and the fact that miracles live in every one of us!
