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September 12, 2005
Austin shelter update
I got a lot sicker over the weekend, so I'm still home in bed. At this rate I don't think I'll be back at work until Wednesday or later, and not back to the shelter before Thursday or Friday.
A few other computer volunteers there have also turned up sick with chest colds. Could be something from the shelter, could also be just coincidence. School started a couple of weeks ago so we're all swapping our summer vacation germs with each other anyway.
Gina has been volunteering and says that since Friday they've gotten real serious about sanitation at the computers. Volunteers will frequently go down the line and wipe down keyboards and mice with sanitary wipes, and there are bottles of Purelle all over the place.
Things overall have slowed down at the convention center. There are about 1500 residents remaining, from a high of 4200. Still lots of confusion about FEMA applications, but there are FEMA people there at least (finally!) to help them get their benefits.
If you are able to help out with the public internet computers at the shelter, especially during normal M-F business hours when the volunteer pool is thin, you can learn more about volunteering here:
http://www.austinfree.net/katrinavolunteer.htm
Pay close attention to the instructions for scheduling and getting a wristband. Security has really tightened up the last couple of days due to incursions by ambulance chasers and by scammers trying to get fraudulent disaster benefits.
If you do sign up for this, be sure to subscribe to the Katrina IT volunteer mailing list:
http://soaustin.net/mailman/listinfo/katrina-it-volunteers
That page also has a link to the mailing list archives, in case you're curious about the daily updates and frustrations and successes that we have been having.
Finally, in happyland, I heard from the girl I talked about in this post, who was missing most of her family. I had chased down a couple of leads for her, and I'm not sure if my leads led to the final result, but she has located her family. Her mom apparently had to be airlifted from New Orleans to the hospital in Laplace due to dehydration, but they are all safe now at an aunt's house in Mississippi.
She sent me a very sweet email which I think I will save forever.
Posted by ray at September 12, 2005 12:45 PM | Permalink
Categories: [austin | katrina | new orleans ]
Comments
It was slower at the Red Cross last Sunday, too. No warehouse schedule at all.. so I unpacked & charged a billion cell phones. ;)
Posted by: Brett at September 12, 2005 2:21 PM
That is really great news about the girl and her family!
And thanks to the generosity of the good people of my town, our convention center is now empty.
Posted by: whirlbrain at September 12, 2005 7:30 PM
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