Katrina Networking

I am using my networking and marketing skills to pass along vital information to organizations, volunteers and survivors of the 2005 hurricane season. Grants, networking, advocating, assistance resources, articles and more. Updated regularly to better assist you.

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

From A Survivor

6/7 - long but worth the read. Prayers are all that are asked for.
Just wanted to give you all an update on Kelsey's best friend Rayven. She was the one who's leg was crushed by a golf cart the day before Mother's Day. Kelsey was with her when it happened. She has spent the past few weeks at a new hospital in Louisiana, West Jefferson. She underwent another surgery to close the wound on her leg. At this point, her family is looking for a miracle to save her foot. She is not getting the blood flow to the entire foot. She needs many, many continous prayers over the next few days.
She is so special to our family and that's why I am asking for everyone to please keep her in your prayers. Thanks and God Bless!!
[Update]
Thanks for all of your prayers J. We ventured over to West Jefferson today to see her and it was not a good day, at all. This afternoon I found Kelsey in her room crying because she misses her and hates the fact she is kinda far now. They are SO close.
Her (Rayven's) dad would tease me about paying me child support because she spends so much time with us. The news today is that they are going to continue Hyperbaric treatments for another week or so. Her little toes are still black and if they could get just another inch of blood higher in her foot they could just take the toes.
She is so strong because she said she knows Kelsey could have never survived something like this. I laughed because Kelsey said that very same thing a few weeks ago. They are like sisters.
I actually saw her cut on the inner thigh where they took the artery from, there must be 30 staples there. She also was cut on her right side to perform an angiagram (spelling ?) and also cut on her left side to re-route that artery. She had a very large open wound on the right leg where they had to go in and shave some of the muscle.
The compound fracture is healing nicely but she will probably have the pins another 6-8 weeks. Sometimes when I look at her I think she has as many battle scars as some of our soldiers and shes only 13, it breaks my heart.
Thanks for the favor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will keep you posted. Tell everyone I said hello.
From "J":
"W" is a friend who used to be the school secretary in Pearlington. She is now secretary at the middle school. I've known her daughter Kelsey since before she started school. There's been a terrible accident that involved a friend of Kelsey's. I know prayer works...please remember them in your prayers. Having you as friends is such a blessing!

3/14 - and from another:
I don't imagine most people still realize what has happened here...I still think that New Orleans is still the focus. I say this because when I came home and was dealing with creditors trying to tell them we still didn't have Mail service...post office...etc.... That they were like why not? I would go thru my usual rant and they would be like oh Hurricane Katrina...yeah I did hear something about that...are you near New orleans? I would tell them an hour and half and they would basically blow me off like we didn't get anything because we were so far from New Orleans...which would further enrage me....Trying to educate everyone just wears me out!

3/7
Hello all!

I am here to make the rest of the country aware of one more Hell that hurricane victims are having to endure. I am not talking about getting the insurance to pay off, I am talking about finding AFORDABLE INSURANCE! I just got my renewel for this year from All State and they have dropped wind coverage and put us into the MS wind pool and raised our annual premium from $1,100 a year to $4,700! $4,700 breaks down to about $400.00 a month! How are people supposed to afford this?

Do I sell my car to buy homeowners insurance? Give up electricity and cable? My mortgage company says I must pay for homeowners insurance or they will charge me $300.00 a day! until I do!

Let me also put this out there for you to think about, I live almost an hour away from the water on the coast! We had no water, nor threat of water in our home. I carry flood insurance just because I want to be sure and not get left losing it all (not that this helped many on the coast). We got a new roof, due to major loss of shingles which was the average loss in our area or trees that had fallen on homes.

I complained to a friend and she told me of another pal of ours that lives on the coast and hers has gone to $6,200.

This is a major problem! Until now I wasn't effected greatly by the hurricane over 18 months ago except for mentally and emotionally watching all the others suffer! I tried in many ways to help those who needed food, clothing, furniture, appliances and whatever else we could help with.

My insurance company is cancelling wind coverage for any homeowner that didn't have car insurance with them prior to November 2005. Most other insurance companies are either not writing new coverage or not covering wind.

I ask those of you on the coast of MS, who is writing affordable homeowners insurance? Prior to Katrina it was considered highest risk in the 3 coastal counties, now it is the 6, where we are. I am one county north or Jackson County.

Why would people on the coast that are average folks of average means want to rebuild? It is really really sad!

If anyone has any ideas or comments please post them! If there is any movement on this to help people with lowering insurance costs please advise!

Thank you!

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Saturday, February 24, 2007

A Quilt For Hurricane Survivors

Fortitude - A Quilt For Hurricane Survivors copyright 2007 leslie holly
















I had decided to make a quilt for a gentleman on my Real People Relief site because he had moved back into his house without it being finished, without there being heat or hot water, without having a bed. I found out from his daughter what size bed she was buying him, and a few things about him and set about designing a quilt for him.
I'm a 5th generation quilter and take very much after my great grandmother, loving scrap quilts. So, I made this quilt with shirts or fabric donated by about 8 different people. While working on it, I looked at the names of the blocks - for they all have names - and was astounded at how appropriate they are. WhirlWind and Flying Blocks. WOW. The names, along with his sheer stubborn nature, I chose to name the quilt Fortitude.

Left Block - WhirlWind
Right Block - Flying Squares


I have written the directions up for anyone to use - trying to focus on the beginner. Here, I am supplying enough information for experienced quilters to work with. However, since the directions are 4 pages (With graphics), I can't post all of it.

The directions include a picture of a finished quilt, pictures of the blocks, the layout, the arrangement of some of the pieces, a table for figuring out size/size of block/number of blocks and working in "rounds" (round 1, round 2, etc.).

If you would like the directions via email, there is no cost. KatrinaCoalition@aol.com
If you would like the directions hard copy, email me for the address to send a whopping $5 to. I need to cover my costs. I'll send the directions and if you know what size blocks you'll use (I have 6"-12" listed in the directions), I'll print them up for you as well. If you're a beginner, I'd suggest 9". It's a great size to learn on without being too big.
As I make more of these, I'll post their pictures. If you make one, I'd love to post the picture of that as well! It's a great design that will work up in any color scheme. I'm pretty proud of it.
"During" the making of Fortitude.

I found a great site that has a yardage calculator far more accurate than the software I was using...
http://www.hickoryhillquilts.com/fabric-calculator.htm
3/12 Just sent this off to a great lady who teaches at the Hancock County schools. Yes that's snow.
3/13 - Just heard from the "head quilter" of the group - 2 boys have joined the group of quilters and she'll be taking pictures as time goes on. Woo! I told her to tell the boys some of the most dramatic quilt designs have been by men - Giant Dahlia, Lone Star, Star of Twilight and my mom says Double Wedding Ring. Those are all 100 year old designs too!

3/9 A school in NH:
A quilt has been started here! After school yesterday, seven girls and two staff members started a weekly quilting meeting to make a quilt for your program. All these girls are beginners.
Becky A., our resident quilter, thought the "Fortitude" pieces were too difficult for beginners so she is using a simpler design. Becky said once she has these girls better trained they'll go with a Fortitude quilt.
They are hoping to have the first quilt finished early to mid April. We'll work out sending it to you or down to Mississippi then.
This is an exciting way to pick-up again with our Katrina efforts. I'm glad Miss Jeanne got us in contact.
Cheers
Rick
3/19 - Now that I know the age of the beginners, WOW - the work they are doing is incredible!
Follow their progress in Pictures:






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