I’ll be doing a manuscript crit to help raise money for Larissa Ione, whose family lost everything in the hurricane. If you can help out, please head over to Alison Kent’s site and volunteer. Or bid.
I also need to hear from FrankA and/or his wife, who are from New Orleans, and who got out of the way of the storm with their lives. Latest news I’ve heard from them is that they think they still have a home. They don’t know because they can’t get back to find out.
However, if the storm destroyed their home, we’ll be doing something similar for them here. Again, if you have a skill you can offer, please volunteer here. Comments on this post will remain open until we’ve got this nailed down.
Frank–I hope you find things in good shape. Be safe.
We go in on Tuesday. Should be out Wednesday. I’ll post what I know as soon as I can.
Thank you all again. This means more than I can say.
— F
Sorry for commenting on another post, but I did just want to stick up for the international community, because over 20 countries, the UN and NATO have all offered aid to America, but for some reason Bush refused it.
I think he might have changed his mind on that, but help has been offered. According to one article I read, Canada even had planes ready with supplies the day after that were turned back at the border.
First chance to get by here. Agreeing with PolarBear. Australia has stood by us as a good friend for decades. Some of us notice, and appreciate it.
I know you’ll publicize the link for the auction when it gets kicked off…
Australia has long been one of our best allies and don’t get much credit for it. Thanks to our friends Down Under.
I’m in money crisis myself–none at all, but I’m in for crits
Count me in, too.
I’m in. Ms. crit, signed books, auction items, whatever you need. Let me know.
Apropos your previous comment about international lack of action, you’re absolutely right. However, here is a quote from our Australian Broadcasting Corporation from today:
Howard’s message
Prime Minister John Howard has sent a message of sympathy to US President George W Bush over the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina.
Mr Howard says Australia is looking at ways of providing assistance.
“I have sent a personal message of sympathy to President Bush,” he said.
“I want publicly to express, on behalf of all Australians, our sense of concern and our feeling for the people who have lost so much and been affected by this terrible natural disaster.”
– ABC/AFP
We’re working on it…
Thank You So Much!
I don’t know what we have lost or haven’t lost. We live in a suburb of New Orleans called Gretna, on the “West Bank†(Actually south of the city across the Mississippi river). We are protected from a different levee system from the city proper. Our levee system didn’t break so our area didn’t flood as badly as New Orleans itself did.
There are some very large trees around my place. I don’t know if they came down on my house or not. If they broke in through the roof, then we have probably lost most of what we own. If not, we probably haven’t lost much at all. We aren’t permitted back into the entire parish (county) to look until Monday. Then we will be given a 24 hour pass to salvage whatever we can from the house and bug out for 4 more weeks. Possibly longer.
Of course all this is subject to change at a moment’s notice, but that is the way it stands now.
Today, we are doing quite well in San Antonio with relatives. We came with 5 changes of clothing, sleeping bags, the hard drive from my computer, our one and only pet, two hundred dollars and the credit cards. We have the resources to get back when permitted and take out whatever is left.
My wife is a doctor in training, completing her residency at two hospitals in the New Orleans city limits; Children’s Hospital and University Hospital (LSU). The program she was in has dissolved when hospitals she worked at filled with water, lost their generators and windows. We don’t know if she will be working/getting paid/finishing her residency or not. We are solvent since I am retired, but if her job has disappeared it’ll be amazingly tight. Still, we are much better off than others.
Holly, I can’t tell you how much your offer of help means to me. Right now, I’ll pass along that assistance to folks that need it more than I do. There are plenty of them.
Everyone else, go bid on Holly’s offer. It’s a once in a lifetime chance.
Stay safe,
— F.
http://www.fobrienandrew.com/soap