From: Stocks, John
Date: Sun, 4 Sep 2005 03:35:18 +0000
Subject: HURRICANE KATRINA – Help needed for the Ewell Families in Jackson, MS.

Nine human beings in a single motel room @ the Comfort Inn in Jackson.
(Interstate 55N)

Some small progress was made today. Gasoline was secured for the two cars after waiting in long lines. Power was restored to the motel and hot showers were taken. Some clothes were purchased at a local thrift store. The Salvation Army is working to arrange for FEMA to cover the costs of the motel. Tomorrow we will try to secure a second motel room, medicated lotion for the toddler and some decisions about next moves.

The Lois Ewell Phipps family. She is one of Lucinda’s four daughters.

Lois is with her daughter Courtney (24) and her grandson Vichaun (4).

Lois works for the Orleans Parish School District. She taught high school English for 24 years. She was a guidance counselor for 5 years and for the past five years has been the 504 (ADA) coordinator for the school district. Lois is one year and five months from retirement.

Lois does not know if she still has a job. She is prepared to relocate with her daughter and grandson if she can find a job in the field of education.

Courtney is 24. She is a single mom, currently unemployed and has been living with her mother. Vichaun is 4 years old (five in November).

Vichaun wears size 6-7 clothes and 10 1/2 shoes.

Vichaun has an Eczema type skin ailment and needs medicated lotion to treat it.  His ailment has been irritated due to lack of air conditioning. They are going to try and find a pharmacy and get the lotion.

The Eloise Ewell Casimir family. Eloise is one of Lucinda’s four daughters.

Eloise is a retired state employee. She is accompanied by her daughter Stacy. Eloise will relocate but does not want to be separated from her grandchildren.

Stacy does not know if she still has a job.. Stacy is 30 and has worked in client services for Pan American Insurance in New Orleans for eight years. Stacy has three children: Kasey (5), Brea (6), Eboni (9).

Kasey’s shoe size 13 1/2. Clothes 14 kids.

Brea’s shoe size 1 1/2. Clothes 16 kids.

Eboni’s shoe size 4. Clothes 5-6 misses.

Stacy’s companion Jerald Skinner does not know if he still has a job. He is 36 and also works for Pan American Insurance in billing/collections. He earned a BA from UNO in accounting in 2001. He interned with the IRS working on individual audits.

Today Jerald went to the Jackson airport to find a rental car to drive to Houston (a five hour drive). He found out his two year old, Cameron Skinner is in Houston General (?) for a blood transfusion. Cameron was born without the ability to oxygenate his blood. He has lived with daily breathing treatments but when Cameron and his mother were evacuated to Houston, they could not give him the breathing treatments. We wait tonight to hear from Jerald.

Other progress:

Father tracked down some of his patients.

Collected in hand $4,700 yesterday and today.

Brother Adam and his wife Becky are tearing sheetrock out of their house.

Lois and Eloise’s other sister Debbie Ann (Orleans Parish elementary school teacher) is in Atlanta and is being sponsored by a family there.

Still weighing heavy on the families:

Still no word from their brother Percy or his son Randall’s family. Sister Henrietta’s daughter Wanda is also missing.

Coming to grips with the fact that they are not returning to New Orleans anytime soon.

From: Stocks, John
Date: Mon, 5 Sep 2005 04:37:48 +0000
Subject: HURRICANE KATRINA – Preparing to bring supplies to Mississippi & Louisiana

Today was less productive than I would have liked.

Identified two vehicles, a pop up camper and a trailer. Need to find a second driver to leave Wednesday morning..

Pick up a generator tomorrow in Madison and the trailer in Green Bay.

Tuesday will be very busy: purchase sheetrock, load tools, generator, wire $$$ to the Ewell’s in Jackson,

JACKSON, MS.

Comfort Inn management says there are no other rooms available because Entergy, the utility company has secured them for their repair crews.

Attempted to make arrangements with Target for the Ewell families to purchase personal items and clothes.

Jerald Skinner’s son was moved to another hospital in Houston and awaits a blood transfusion. We await word.

Percy Ewell (Lucinda’s son), Randall Ewell (Percy’s son), Sterling and Laura Brooks (Henrietta’s son and daughter in law), Wanda Brooks (Henrietta’s daughter) are all still missing.

SLIDELL, LA.

Spoke with my brother. He needs insulation, sheetrock, a generator and the pop up to sleep in.

Hope to get there by Friday.

From: Stocks, John
Date: Tue, 6 Sep 2005 12:41:33 +0000
Subject: HURRICANE KATRINA – Angels of Mercy

Yesterday was exhausting and I fell asleep before I could write down my experiences from the day.

It was a bitter sweet day. We made progress on the little things in life that we often take for granted. Things like food, electricity, hot water, decent shelter, gasoline, telephone service, etc.

JACKSON, MS – The Ewell Families

Angels of mercy kicked into high gear today.

After a full day of aggressive advocacy and the generosity of the local utility company, we were able to secure a second hotel room right across the hall at the Comfort Inn. Thank the great spirit for small victories.

Arrangements were made for the Ewell families to purchase personal items and essentials at Target.

These two events made all the difference in their spirits.

We identified an apartment for them to look at that has three bedrooms, two baths and is @ 1300 square feet.

Today, we expect the arrival of packages of clothing at the hotel. We have arranged to wire money we have collected so they can find more permanent housing in Jackson. We will contact Stacy and Jerald’s employer to let them know they are alive. We will register the families with the Red Cross.

We still have not heard from Percy, Randall and his family, Sterling and his family, or Wanda. They all refused to evacuate the city. This weighs very heavily on the families. Pray for them.

Tomorrow morning I leave for Jackson and Slidell to assist the Ewell’s and my brother.

SLIDELL, LA.

Slidell was ground zero for Hurricane Katrina. There is not much left of the community.

The furniture, carpet, sheetrock and insulation are torn out of the my brother’s house. Now comes the monumental task of drying out what’s left and rebuilding.

We found a ‘fifth wheel’ for my brother and his family to live in while they rebuild their home.  Still no electricity so I am purchasing a generator this morning. Gasoline was acquired.

For Adam and Becky the big issue is time…. to work on the house.

Adam has been informed that he is on a seven day work week beginning today for Charter Communications in order to assist employees and get their systems up and running.

School officials say that October 1 is the absolute earliest for schools to open in Slidell so they are shuttling their children to Becky’s parents in Baton Rouge so Becky can work on the house.

I will go to give a helping hand.

MCFARLAND, WI.

Daddy, his wife, their three dogs, two cats and two cars have settled in. Our basement is their temporary home. It will do in a pinch. My father and his wife have borrowed some of our fleece because they are cold. We have told them that the temperature only goes downhill from here.

Daddy and his wife are on the phone constantly trying to reach their psychiatric and psychoanalytic patients. They are very concerned for them and their ability to cope with this trauma.

Daddy is thinking about heading back to help organize mental health services for the afflicted through the Tulane and LSU medical schools’ psychiatric departments. Love his spirit at 75.

Priorities for the day: Wire the money, service the van, buy the generator, pick up the trailer, purchase supplies, secure 501c3 to administer future donations, check in on all the families.

I cry when I think of all the support I have received from colleagues, dear friends and family. This is really hard stuff. You angels of mercy have made a big difference. I will never forget it.

May the Great Spirit bless you.

From: Stocks, John
Date: Thu, 8 Sep 2005 11:29:05 +0000
Subject: HURRICANE KATRINA – Blessed by Miracles

It has been two days since my last report. It is early morning in Mount Vernon (southern Illinois). The relief effort has begun in earnest. Commercial and military trucks full of heavy equipment, piping of all sizes, pumps, food, water and shelters are streaming down I-57 toward the Gulf Coast.

MOST FAMILY MEMBERS FOUND

Percy Ewell, his son Randall and his wife and Henrietta’s daughter Wanda have all been located. They are in shelters in Hattiesburg, San Antonio and Houston. Sisters Debbie Ann and Henrietta are in Atlanta. We are still waiting to hear from Henrietta’s son Sterling and his wife.

MIRACLE OF THE WEB

My friend Bill Christofferson writes a blog for http://www.Wispolitics.com. He posted the plight of the Ewell family. It turns out that a dear friend of Lois Ewell Phipps was searching franticallly for her family and punched her name into the Google search engine. Behold, Lois’ name came up in Bill’s web blog. The women emailed Bill and Bill put her in contact with me and in turn I put her in contact with Lois. Here is one of her emails to Bill.

I am trying to get in touch with the Ewell’s they all know me. My name is Gail Lang Anderson and I’m known as Lois’s “white daughter” I am in TX now but live in Covington, LA and will have power in about a week. Everyone of them can come to my house when I get back home. I can’t get through to the hotel because of phone issues.

Gail has since connected. A bright light in the Ewell familes’ ordeal.

THE ROAD SOUTH

My Green Bay brother in laws came through with a large covered trailer, large drying fans, a dehumidifier and other equipment for drying out my brothers’ house in order to prevent mold and mildew after the flood. It will take me another day to get to Jackson and then another half day to Slidell. I will be in Jackson late this afternoon.

MIRACLE OF MONEY AND BANK WIRE TRANSFERS

Many contributions have come in through the generosity of so many of you. This allowed us to wire money to the Ewells at the Comfort Inn yesterday.

MIRACLE OF THE EMAIL NETWORK OF FAMILY, COLLEAGUES AND FRIENDS

After emailing some family, a few colleagues and some friends, there have been many offers of money, clothes, and many other forms of assistance to the plight of the Ewell’s, my brother’s family, my father and his wife. To all of you we are immensely grateful.

MIRACLE OF THE TREO

None of what we have accomplished so far would have been possible without my handheld TREO. We are grateful to the NEA for the use of this equipment.

MY BROTHER’S FAMILY

It would be hard to know if my brother was under any stress but I know he is under a lot. He, his wife and three children are scrambling to repair their home which flooded during the storm. Adam has removed out all the carpet, sheetrock and furniture that was damaged in the flood. The home appears to be ok structurally. He is working seven days a week trying to bring Charter Communications back online in Louisiana. Becky shuttles the children between her parents in Gonzales, La. and their torn apart home in Slidell. Almost a two hour drive. Gas prices are outrageous.

Thank the Great Spirit, the insurance adjuster showed up yesterday.

FATHER AND HIS WIFE ARE SETTLING IN

My father and his wife are settling in. We all know it will be a while before they can return to their home in New Orleans. They have arranged for their medicines and will registered with FEMA. Loss of income is a growing challenge. They have secured an internet connection and are gathering information through the web. The three dogs and two cats are a bit disoriented but very well behaved.

THE MCFARLAND FAMILIES

Please distribute this out to the growing networks of family, colleagues, friends and blessed strangers that have been contacted and offered help to our family. We can’t keep track of them all but we are eternally grateful. We keep reminding ourselves that this is a marathon, not a sprint.

From: Stocks, John
Date: Fri, 9 Sep 2005 15:37:55 +0000
Subject: HURRICANE KATRINA – The Jackson Reunion – Tears of Joy and Sadness

My choice of CD’s for the road trip was last minute, random and unintentional. Although the messages were profound.

South out of Wisconsin with Bruce’s patriotic theme song ‘Born in the USA.’. A missionary hymmnal of sorts for the tasks ahead. Through Memphis listening to Paul Simon’s ‘Graceland’ and onto Jackson with Aretha Franklin singing ‘The Weight’ and Neil Young’s ‘Helpless’. Preparation for what was to come.

The US Interstate infrastructure is in serious need of repair particularly in southern Illinois and Missouri. Another indication of the nation’s misplaced priorities.

Many displaced people on the road, at the truck stops, in the rest areas, on the highways. Some leaving, some returning, all shocked and dazed. Lots of children with parents and relatives. Some are people of means and others had little and have nothing to go back to and nowhere to go. Race and class matter little to them. The shared experience of the tragedy erases those barriers. Ironically this tragedy has forged a common bond amongst strangers.

THE JACKSON REUNION

I called ahead after numerous attempts to get through. I told them to gather up for dinner. Lois said ‘ a hot meal….really’ I said ‘of course, a night on the town’. The Ewell families waited in the motel lobby. I caught Lois’ eye when we walked in and we ran to one another and cried. Tears of joy and sadness.

We all piled into two cars with two local heros and took off for a hot southern meal. I sat with the children. The adults needed a well deserved break. Our local heros entertained.

The children and I ate roasted peanuts and threw the shells on the floor. We colored the children’s menu with our crayons, we completed the word search puzzles, spelled our names and teased each other. They tried to braid my hair but found it too short and too straight. They ate whatever they wanted and I insisted on everyone having dessert. It was a glorious time.

The adults visited with our two local heros, had cocktails and good food.

Back at the motel we opened up the gifts I brought down from my sister in law and other packages that had arrived from angels of mercy throughout the country. More tears, more sadness, more joy.

Vichaun, the four year old little boy looked up at his grandmother and asked, “Grandma, is it Christmas?” Lois eyes welled up with tears. She was speechless.

For a few hours, we distracted them from their troubles, let them know they were not going to be forgotten and gave them tremendous hope that things are going to work out on the road ahead. Thanks to all of you who have and are maikng this happen.

ALL THE FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE BEEN LOCATED

Sterling’s family is safe. Wanda (Henrietta’s daughter) was rescued from the roof of her flooded home by helicopter and sent to Houston. Percy and his wife are in Hattiesburg, they have gotten an apartment, Debbie Ann and Henrietta are in Atlanta and have been sponsored by a family. They are moving into a house. This close knit family has been split apart across a vast geography. Thank the Great Spirit they are safe.

BIG DECISIONS

Stacy got on a national conference call with her employer, Pan American Life Insurance. Her division is relocating to Dallas. Lois and Eloise don’t want to split up the families so they may all go with Stacy. Lois is one year and 5 months from retirement in Louisiana. The weight of the decision to leave Louisiana is enormous. Eloise will go to Dallas to be with her daughter and grandchildren but is worried about whether her retiree HMO will pay for health care in Dallas. Stacy has put in 8 years at Pan American and does not want to start over. These are big decisions for all of them.

ONTO SLIDELL AND BACK TO JACKSON

I leave today with the trailer to Slidell to help my brother and his family with fixing their house. I will try to report tomorrow from there. No guarantees. I expect my energies will be consumed.

My deepest appreciation to you alll for your support, prayers and assistance. ~Johno