Hello Everyone, hope all is well whereever you are. I don't recall that any of our group was from the area affected by this monster hurricane.
Those poor, poor people, it just kind of rips your heart out of your chest to see what they went through and to know the long, hard road ahead of them.

I know that at least one shelter has been readied here in Cincinnati. It's been set up by the Red Cross and there were told to expect 100, but nothing so far. There was also talk of two more shelters here, but I don't think that has gone beyond the talking stage.

My daughter and her husband are itching to go down and get their hand dirty to help however they can. They talked witht he Red Cross, and they just put their name on a list. Then she was where the Salvation Army was requesting bodies, so she has contacted them. It might mean I keep the kids for a week or so, but it's for a good cause.

When Hurricane Andrew hit south FL so bad, we were in a position to help out. My husband owned a tractor-trailer truck, so we used it to haul a truck load of material down for the Salvation Army. We loaded it and unloaded it but we weren't allowed to ride along with those who were taking what we delivered out to the people in the streets. The damage there was just horrendous, but it definitely seems like the AL,MI, and LA coasts took a death blow.

I sure do hope they bring some to this area. I don't have cash to send but I can work, even if it's just mopping floors.

Sometimes in the next couple of days, I'll be getting the permanent address of my cousin that is a new deploy to Iraq. I thought I could have already had it, but it hasn't worked out that way. When I get it, I'm going to post it here as I'm thinking you would send him a card or letter, maybe a can of vienna sausage . His momma is worried t death about him. He didn't have to go, he set it up so that he would go. He is recently married, so he has a sweet little wife to get back to.
Hope you all are fine, as I am. I wish the others would begin to post. If any of you know how to get hold of some of the old friends, tell them to get over here and drop a line every now and then.
Take Care, Valorie

I was married in Biloxi almost 20 years ago. I loved living there because the people were the friendliest people you'd ever want to meet. Our house had been flooded twice before but it was still a great house afterwards. I saw our street on the news and the house
was of course gone; so was everything else around it. The devastation is so massive. Natural disasters are unbelievably cruel; it is hard to make sense of such things. Those of us who live by faith hand it to God, those who live by man's rational hand it to each other for understanding. No matter what your belief; lending a helping hand is part of our compassionate nature. Seeing the ruin makes me cry; but seeing the effort put forth by so many wonderful people to rebuild instills tremendous hope.

My thoughts and prayers are with all those who need food and shelter,

Susan

The trajedy of Katrina put's our lives into perspective. The depth of this disaster brings home the afflictions that other countries have or are presently going through around the world.

I am proud, as we all should be, that as a country we have and will continue to come to the aid of "Katrina" victims, as well as our help that passes beyond our borders to others in distress.

My nephew has gone through the Red Cross training and is waiting to be called to service if needed.There are many people in my community that have already gone to help, or are waiting to do so.
Unfortunately, my work will not give me the time off to help out because of scheduling needs, or I would have liked to do it. So, donations of money and items will have to do.

I can't imagine the heartache and loss those people have and are going through. They are in my prayers.I can't help but comment on the Service members whose homes and families have been hit by this, and the tumultous feelings they must be having, as well as the financial hardships, that may have been doubled, first by serving, then by the disaster. Part of my donations go to them and
to so many of my fellow Postal Workers that have been hit by this trajedy.

God Bless them all,

Connie



It brings home the depth of this disaster