November Update

Thursday, November 10, 2005

My dear Sisters and Brothers,

Just an update from Camp Coast Care. Our work is progressing well. A few of the larger shelters in our neighborhood have closed in the last few days. Consequently, the numbers of people passing through our distribution tent and clinic are climbing steadily. Yesterday, we served 1,928 people in the “store” and another 140 in the clinic. I know it is hard for people who live away from here to understand that even the “crisis” stage of Katrina is far from over. There are still people who are living in a survival mode from day to day, and sometimes the government’s response to their need creates more harm than good. A few trailer parks are being set up way out in the country away from services and shelters. This creates a new problem of how to get the help we have out to the people who need it. We are using vans to move medical personnel and supplies out to those places of need. (Special thanks to St. Pete's Oxford for the use off a van.)

Our commitment in the Lutheran/Episcopal Network is to continue in relief efforts until the need is met and then to concentrate on the long-term rebuilding for those in need. Once we see the end of the clean out and rake up stage moving toward an end, we will begin stockpiling building materials for the work yet to come. That means I am looking for volunteers well into the new year. And, while our census looks healthy for these next weeks, there is hardly a day when I couldn’t use another 25 to 30 volunteers. Kudos to the wonderful group from Ole Miss who came down last weekend with Ollie Rencher and his team. Thanks as well to a team from Southern Miss that joined in too. This weekend a group from State is with us as well as several individuals and teams from parishes around the state.

When you are thinking of something to do to really help the people of the Gulf Coast, remember that our aim is to return them to something like normalcy as soon as possible. That means enabling parents to care for their children, enabling clergy to care for their congregations, and enabling this economy to bounce back to a healthier place. In the next weeks I will also be looking for a long-term volunteer to do data entry for us, allowing us to update our volunteer files as well as the work orders that have already been processed and those waiting to be processed. (We have cleaned out over 230 homes now and we hit five to seven more each day.) If you know a data processor who might serve with us please call me soon.

In other news, the work here goes on. Every day we are making progress, but we are still a long way from getting through even the crisis and relief stage of this storm’s devastation. It is hard to keep the attention of the world focused on an ongoing process like this. So, our food and supplies caches are dwindling, and we wonder how long we can hold the interest of the church. Keep us in your prayers for the right answers and actions to these questions.

"Together, we can make a difference."

My needs for this week continue to be:

• Canned Foods – cannot keep enough
• Especially soups
• Spaghetti sauces
• Meats
• Ravioli
• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Juices
• Tomato
• Fruit
• Sports drinks
• Shelf milk
• Rice
• Dry Beans
• Breakfast cereals
• New Clothes
• Cleaning Supplies
• Yard Tools
• Gift Cards to Walmart, Home Depot. Lowe’s

What a diocese!

You are wonderful partners in this ministry.

Come see us when you can.

Christ’s peace,
Joe Robinson+

posted by St. Matthew's Episcopal Church | 1:06 PM