Gulf Coast - What You Can Do

HELP REBUILD INNOCENT LIVES
By Bev Freeman
Published Thursday, March 15, 2007, Belmont Citizen Herald
Belmont, Mass.

I just returned from a week on the Gulf Coast with several others. We
prepared homes for rebuilding and we gathered information.

None of us knew the geography of the Gulf Coast before we visited.
It's actually easy imagine: From west to east, there are cities that
dot the coast starting with New Orleans and then the Mississippi
cities and towns of Bay Saint Louis, Waveland, Gulfport, Biloxi,
Pascagoula.

The still-devastated Gulf Coast region couldn't look more different
from Belmont. Imagine driving through Belmont and finding all
landmarks gone and roads of gravel rather than pavement (potholes and
all). No McLean Hospital, no Belmont Public Library, no churches or
temples. No Gulf, Citgo or Mobil signs, no Pleasant Street Gas and
Service, and no Belmont Studio Cinema. Trash in bundles everywhere; no
services, no homes or businesses left.

We spent some time in Pearl River county, home of Picayune,
Poplarville and other small rural towns. It's an hour due north of the
coast. Hit by Katrina, but not as badly damaged as the coast,
Picayune's current problem is that its population has tripled due to
an influx of people from the coast. Ninety-five percent of families in
Bay Saint Louis and Waveland are living in FEMA trailers, generally in
350 sq. feet of space, no matter what the family size.

I heard so many stories---for example, about a teen-ager who
courageously swam his own parents to safety but, to this day, is
violently angry because he wasn't allowed to return to save his
family's pets. I listened to a Hancock County school district
official, proud that schools were re-opened two months after the
storm, but who looked absolutely grief-stricken when she spoke about
the growing emotional toll on children, teachers and caregivers. The
need for mental health services in this area is huge.

Today, more than a year and half since Katrina, we saw what it takes
to rebuild lives in historically poor areas, made worse by one of
the deadliest hurricanes in U.S. history. It takes the work of many
brave and resilient people, like Kathy, who we met during our
stay. She works at the interfaith disaster warehouse in Biloxi, which
gives rescued furniture and building materials free to anyone who
asks. It takes the work of David, the YMCA director from Ocean
Springs, who has added to his to-do list the people of Pearlington, 45
minutes from his office's location, where youth violence is on the
rise.

It takes the work of groups and organizations, like the Lower Pearl
River Valley Foundation in Picayune, which has created after-school
programs and summer camps, called "Safe Harbor," for 2,400 children.
This effort required massive coordination on the part of many people.
The camps include service learning as well as field trips, sports and
a curriculum to mitigate post-traumatic stress. The foundation is hard
pressed to meet their goal to serve at least 3,000 children this
summer. In addition, comprehensive mental health services for the area
require expansion and paid staff to ensure sustainability well in to
the future.

Of course, helping people rebuild their lives also takes money. Your
financial support or volunteering on the Gulf Coast or advocacy at the
national level are tangible ways to help. Addressing disaster on our
own coast teaches lessons and empathy for the human consequences of
disasters everywhere. By giving in these ways, we can hope that our
community will be lovingly cared for in our time of need by the gifts
of strangers. Let Belmont show the way!

Consider a donation to the Lower Pearl River Valley Foundation. It
serves as a responsible conduit for funds to meet basic health and
emotional health needs of families. This organization has the trust of
community leaders, and has flexibility and detailed knowledge of community
needs. Your check can be made payable to Lower Pearl River Valley
Foundation, 505 Williams Avenue, Picayune, Mississippi 39466,
attention Dr. Ted Alexander, CEO. Every single gift will be personally
acknowledged and you will be kept apprised of progress in meeting the
needs of hundreds of families.