Would it be helpful for those of us in areas not affected by Katrina to send items?  If so, let us know an address.

Why not call the number above and ask? Btw, I may have some room available as soon as repairs are made to make my house inhabitable. (Have lined up a contractor, wish me luck with the adjuster.) I would have a private room and bath for a female prof or grad student who lives quietly and doesn't mind cats. Truth can put you in touch with me.

From Faculty Senate Listserv:

From Bill Powell ("William (Bill) Powell" <william.powell@usm.edu> ):

Colleagues,

Pat Smith has so far received replies from four faculty members on the Gulf Coast who could use some manual help in the recovery of their homes. I had suggested to Pat that we in H'burg could perhaps supply some 'unskilled' labor to assist colleagues on the coast. The requests range from helping tear out drywall to digging in the sand to find lost household items.

In what I hope will be the first of several weekends of such efforts, I'd like to organize some work teams to go down to the coast on Sunday, October 9. For those that would like to carpool and/or convoy, let's meet in the parking lot behind the Liberal Arts Building at 11 and plan on returning at 5 that afternoon. I'll be getting information from Pat about what kinds of tools, etc. we should bring if possible.

If you would like to participate, please let me know. I'll be sending out further information (addresses, maps, meeting place(s) on coast) as I receive it.

Bill
--
William W. (Bill) Powell, Ph.D.
President, USM Faculty Senate
The University of Southern Mississippi
Hattiesburg, MS 39406   USA
Tel: 601-266-6072   Fax: 601-266-4853

From Faculty Senate Listserv:

Colleagues,

A reminder that a group of us will be heading down to the coast again this
Sunday (October 16) to help out USM Gulf Coast faculty with their homes and,
tragically in several instances, home sites. If you would like to join us to
either convoy or carpool, we'll meet at 11 in the parking lot behind the
Liberal Arts Building (enter off Montague Street).

Jobs range from ripping out walls and ceilings to cleaning out yards to digging in the sand to find lost household items.

Work clothes, gloves, hats and heavy shoes/boots are recommended. It is also
a good idea to bring a small cooler with drinks. Tools help too, especially
pry bars, hammers (brick and straight claw hammers seem to work well for
removing drywall), flat-faced shovels. If you're driving a truck or van, an
extra wheelbarrow is useful. We'll have some dust masks to distribute.

I hope you'll join us on Sunday. If you can, please let me know if you can
join us so that we can give folks on the coast some idea of the ‘labor
pool.’

Thanks, Bill
--
William W. (Bill) Powell, Ph.D.
President, USM Faculty Senate
The University of Southern Mississippi
Hattiesburg, MS 39406   USA
Tel: 601-266-6072   Fax: 601-266-4853

From USMmail:

SUPPLY DRIVE FOR HANCOCK COUNTY DISTRIBUTION CENTER 

Many of you know our colleague, Jessica Beane, who until recently, worked in the Office of Contracts and Grants Accounting (OCGA) and Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA).  However, you may not know that after Hurricane Katrina, Jessica resigned to become a full-time volunteer in the relief and recovery effort on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.  

Jessica, along with several friends from Hattiesburg, set up a warehouse in the parking lot of a Bay St. Louis shopping center.  One thing led to another, and the dedicated group of friends subsequently formed Foundation Hope, working with many other organizations, including the Brett Favre Fourward Foundation, the Steve “Air” McNair Foundation, and volunteer groups from across the country.  Today they are the primary distribution point in Waveland, Bay St Louis, and Pearlington, and are one of only four Points of Distribution (POD) still operating in Hancock County. 

The need remains and so have they -- far longer than anyone originally anticipated -- still helping and still working to give provisions to the coast community.

OCGA and SPA are collecting supplies to take to the warehouse/distribution center.  If you or your department would like to contribute, please bring your items to the 3rd floor lobby of Bond Hall by Friday, November 18.  If you prefer to give cash and have us purchase materials on your behalf, please send to Box 5157, attn: Cooper.

The items which are now in urgent demand include:

- thick blankets

- bedding

- sleeping bags

- disposable instant hand and body warmers - last 24 hours

- Coleman sportcat portable catalytic heater & 16.4oz. Propane bottles

- winter coats (new!! for all ages)

- sweat shirts and sweat pants (new)

- thermal tops and thermal bottoms (new)

- winter gloves

- winter scarves

- tennis shoes (new!! all sizes and ages)

- new socks

- new t-shirts (short and long sleeve)

- new underwear (all sizes and ages)

- new electric blankets

- lanterns

- air mattresses (with pump built in)

The entire list of needed supplies can be viewed online at http://foundationhope.net/SupplyList.pdf.   We hope to conduct another supply drive before the Christmas holidays, but decided we need to take action swiftly and deliver some things right away.  

Please call 601-266-5054 or 601-266-6271 if you have questions or need to make special arrangements. 

 

I saw a couple of addresses on the foundationhope.net webpage.

Dear Southern Miss Alumni,

It is not often that the Southern Miss Alumni Association issues specialized e-mail to our alumni; however, this is indeed a special case. Since Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, The University of Southern Mississippi has made every effort to rebound from the disaster as efficiently as possible. And, with the help of generous and supportive alumni, those unprecedented efforts have been hugely successful.

In just a few short weeks following the storm, students are again attending classes on the Gulf Coast and in Hattiesburg, repairs are being made to damaged structures and plans are being developed to rebuild in areas dealt the greatest blows.

However, like many of the individuals and families who lost their homes due to the storm, dozens of Gulf Coast faculty and staff, as well as their families, are still in need of temporary housing as they continue their roles with the University. The Alumni Association is now making an effort to locate temporary housing for these members of our Southern Miss family, and we hope you can help.

If you know of an apartment or condominium, have an extra room or are willing to rent a guest house in the Gulfport/Biloxi area, please contact Mark Boyles, the Alumni Association's associate director for internal operations, at (601) 266-5013 or by e-mail at Mark.Boyles@usm.edu.

With your response, please provide the following information concerning the living options you are willing to make available to a faculty or staff member:

-The type of space available (extra room, apartment/condominium, guest house, etc.)
-Number of bedrooms and bathrooms available
-Length of time the space will be available
-Location
-Are pets allowed?
-Number of persons the space can accommodate
-Any additional special needs or information.

Upon submitting your information to the Alumni Association, the Association will provide your contact information to a faculty or staff member who is seeking the type of space you have available. All agreements made regarding living arrangements will be made directly between the renter and the faculty/staff member.

Thanks in advance for any assistance you may be able to offer.

The important parts for you:

"...If you prefer to give cash and have us purchase materials on your behalf, please send to Box 5157, Attn: Cooper.

...The entire list of needed supplies can be viewed online at
http://foundationhope.net/SupplyList.pdf. We hope to conduct another supply
drive before the Christmas holidays but decided we need to take action swiftly
and deliver some things right away.

Please call 601-266-5054 or 601-266-6271 if you have questions or need to make
special arrangements."

 As winter looms ahead, there are hundreds of families still living in tents,
boats, and compromised structures on the Gulf Coast who will be especially
susceptible to the cold and illness.  While working in east Biloxi last week, I
was approached about the need for new, warm blankets.  This community has
recently received 2,000 winter coats but is still in need of blankets.  The
area I'm working in is particularly poor and still waits for trailers that have
been promised but not yet delivered.  What a great opportunity for those of us
in Hattiesburg who have recovered for the most part and can afford to
contribute something so simple but so needed.  If you would like to donate a
new blanket (preferably still in plastic wrap) to the Blanket the Coast Drive,
you can drop it off at The Center for Oral History, Room 105 of McCain Library,
anytime between 8 am and 5 pm.  I will be traveling to Biloxi on a weekly basis
and so this will be an ongoing drive through winter until the need is filled.
Thank you in advance for your concern and generosity.  It will be greatly
appreciated I assure you!  Call Linda VanZandt at x4574 if you have any
questions.  Thanks again!

 Fron Faculty Senate Listserv:

Colleagues,

As we have done over the last month or so, the Faculty Senate is organizing
groups to help out USM Gulf Coast faculty and staff with their homes and,
tragically in several instances, home sites. This weekend the trip is
planned for Sunday (November 20)  If you would like to join us to either
convoy or carpool, we'll meet at 10:30 AM in the parking lot behind the
Liberal Arts Building (enter off Montague Street).

This weekend it looks like we’ll be cleaning up the bottom floor of a house.

Work clothes, gloves, hats and heavy shoes/boots are recommended. It is also
a good idea to bring a lunch and a small cooler with drinks. Tools help too,
especially pry bars, hammers (brick and straight claw hammers seem to work
well for removing drywall), flat-faced shovels, rakes, brooms. dustpans. If you're driving a truck or
van, an extra wheelbarrow is useful.

We hope you'll join us on Sunday. If you can, please let me or Mary Beth
Applin (mary.applin@usm.edu) know by Friday afternoon if you can join us so that we can give
folks on the coast some idea of the available ‘labor pool.’

Also, please spread the word with colleagues in your departments.

Thanks, Bill & Mary Beth