Letter from a Red Cross volunteer in New Orleans

[ticapnews]

A friend of my mother's who works for the Maine Dept of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife volunteered to go to the Gulf Coast with the Red Cross. This is what he's written to everyone back home:

Something for the next newsletter.

Greetings to all my friends at the Farm. I am at LA Place, LA. Just outside of New Orleans. Working at the Red Cross Warehouse, we are bulk distributing.
6 days a week, 7 teams of 3 trucks head out to different areas of the city. We travel the streets in a grid, looking for residents. Our load is water, coolers, mops, brooms, cleaning supplies, & blankets.
All our work is very appreciated, the residents are working hard to come back. They all praise the American Red Cross. So if you donate, be assured your money is being well spent.
The most amazing thing I have found. The strength and resilance of the citizens. They all seem upbeat & happy on the outside. I attribute this to a sense of neighborhood & religious strength. The most heard comment is: " the stuff is gone but we have our LIVES". I found this as something to really think about.
All you have seen on the news is nothing until seen in person. The devastion in horrendous. We did take a trip to Biloxi last Sunday. To anyone that has been there it is devastated to at least 3 blocks past US 90. The gift shop I was in on my last trip down was locted on the beach, now is nothing but a steel skeleton. Everywhere there is work going on, but it will be a long road.
I have just extended to 14 February 2006, will continue to send reports.

A Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to all.
Please remember all the residents here in your Prayers.

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He closes the note by saying he just received word that his National Guard unit will be called up 1 June for deployment back to Iraq.