"We Are Grateful"

A Report from Dallas Center
September 10, 2005

The Dallas center is grateful for the opportunity given to Dallas to participate first hand in Katrina relief efforts. Last Saturday (Sep. 3), members of the Dallas satsang went to a relief shelter and talked to volunteers to see what help was needed. After talking with them, that very afternoon, we collected and distributed a truck load of supplies. The supplies included reading glasses for the elderly, denture cream, foam mats for them to sleep on, lots of clothes, school supplies for the children, toys, purell wipes, moist wipes, baby formula, diapers, feminine hygiene products, razors & shaving cream for men, deodorants & antiperspirants, snack foods that are pre-packaged, water bottles, ladies and gents underwear, shampoo, soap, baby bottles, bibs, toothbrushes, towels, pillows, bed sheets, lotion, etc. Noticing that while supplies were arriving in plenty, the evacuees could only carry whatever they could in their two hands, we immediately set out to get totebags, duffels, and backpacks to over 450 evacuees.

More collections and plans were made Saturday night (Sep. 3). Sunday morning (Sep. 4), a group of volunteers sorted and distributed more supplies and met with the red cross and "Volunteer North Texas" service organizations to seek more opportunities to serve.

On labor day (Sep. 5), volunteers went to Will Rogers Coliseum in Fort Worth and helped register evacuees from Louisiana and Mississippi for school in Fort Worth. School supplies and clothes, shoes, etc. were distributed at the coliseum as the registration was occurring. Our medical volunteers spent the entire weekend offering medical aid to evacuees as they deboarded the buses from Louisiana.

Denture cream, foam mats, reading glasses, toiletries, and other basic necessities were loaded onto a truck to Louisiana headed to where a group of evacuees from nursing homes were being sheltered.

Efforts are being made to take on a chunk of the local relief efforts by coordinating with the Red cross and "Volunteer North Texas" organizations who are spearheading the relief efforts in the Dallas Ft. Worth area.

"We are grateful for the opportunity to give our hands and hearts in service to our fellow brothers and sisters" said one of the organizers after spending the long weekend with Katrina survivors.

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