Yes, I'm still tore up about the damages I saw last week during my travels. Since I've been through my share of natural disasters, I somewhat understand what all these people are dealing with each day since the tornadoes hit. Day to day life has changed for so many people in our great state - and many states around us too.
I heard my share of horror stories last week too, dealing with the recovery process. Good people with donations or services that drove down there and were turned away. Truckloads of generators turned away. I've even seen reports that clothing items would be buried at the dump rather than given away. Oh my gosh.
Of course, I do understand the logistics problem - storing all of the donations must be an issue in itself. I have also seen posts of people begging for items. Where does a person start? How do you know what is right?
I pondered for days what I could do. I really want to help, but how? I've donated money through my church to go to the relief funds. I even 'mistakenly' donated to the Red Cross fund, which I doubt is the right thing to do at this point. The money donated to them just goes into their General Fund and that's not right. I would be curious to see how much goes to tornado victims out of that fund. It didn't work during Katrina, I doubt it will work here.
Since I'm a fiber arts fanatic, I have decided that I can make things to give to them. Like dishcloths. Who doesn't love a homemade dish cloth? And I have friends who knit, quilt and crochet. I keep thinking of all the kidlets down in that area that lost their blankets. So, I'll be hitting up everyone I know in the next three weeks asking for donations of items. I figure that in about three or four weeks, these folks will have a better grasp on their lives. Right now, many don't even have homes. So bedding isn't a direct need. But it will be.
You might wonder what you can do if you aren't a knitter or crocheter? Well, I'll also take all sizes of towels, sheets, crib sheets, pillowcases. I plan on collecting just as much as I can and store them at my home until it's time to deliver them. I've already sent out emails to several of our readers who are going to direct me where donations need to go in their towns.
So, at least I'll be doing something. And I hope you'll join in with me. God Bless you all......
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Traveling through the destruction
I have spent the past three days driving hundreds of miles delivering All Things Country Magazine. It's a great opportunity to catch up with our advertisers when we aren't trying to sell them something. Everyone is happy to see you, they don't dread it. That is how most months go at least. That hasn't been the case this month.
Now, don't get me wrong. I have enjoyed seeing everyone. It's just the other sights I have seen are heartbreaking. It's good that the people of Kentucky are resilient because that is what it's going to take. Everyone working together to help put these areas back together.
My first day of delivery takes me from Winchester to Olive Hill, and areas in between the two. My sister Roben always goes with me during this trip, so she also got to see some of the devastation. I really didn't think we'd see much since we weren't going southeast at all. Boy, was I wrong.
We took the exit off of Interstate 64 that goes towards Salt Lick and the Cave Run area. We leave magazines at the Kentucky Market Pavilion at that exit. After leaving there, we decided to turn left to see what all the trucks were doing up the road. It was then that we noticed the old Boot Store building across the road. The roof was gone, for the most part at least. Once we started looking around we saw another house with no roof. There was a crew on top fixing it.
And insulation! It was everywhere. In the trees, in the fields. Stuck to signs. Trees were literally spun out of the ground and were laying beside the roads. The trucks we saw? Well, they were still clearing the roadway of trees that had been pulled up by the roots. This was 5 days after the tornadoes had hit. And I hadn't even heard there was damage there!
Between that exit and the Salt Lick area I imagine we saw at least 10 barns or buildings of some type laying in rubble. Lots of roofs gone. And even more insulation. It is blown everywhere. I had the camera with me too. But I just couldn't stop and take pictures. It is still too heartbreaking to record for me. I'd rather stop when the rebuilding process is going on I guess.
I have continued to see destruction each day. The Campton area was hit pretty hard - with hail! The houses are just dotted with hail damage. At least this destruction is fixable. In many cases fixable isn't an option. Yesterday, I saw the destruction along I-75 near the East Bernstadt community in Laurel County. Words just don't do justice to it. The people just standing there, staring at the piles of lumber. Again, I couldn't pick up the camera for that.
I have also heard lots of stories each day. Most of them disturbing. Like generators being turned away from the West Liberty area. Or a local Cattlemen group being turned away - from serving meals to workers! And that is all I am hearing about. West Liberty. And I feel for everyone there. If supplies and equipment are being turned away, the residents aren't getting the help they should be getting.
Who's in control down there? Just who is turning them away? The Red Cross is one report I've heard. They don't want supplies or anything else. Just money. Yes, I'm irritated with this. And I've given to the Red Cross, don't get me wrong. But I also think alot of good, caring people are contributing to the Red Cross fund and I'll be curious to see how much of this money actually gets into the hands of tornado victims.
And it's not just West Liberty that needs help. West Liberty just needs the most help. There is Salyersville, parts of Johnson County, Boone County, Bath County, Laurel County. Schools are gone, homes and businesses are gone. And you can't tell me that there isn't an immediate need for things. Not just money. These people don't need money right now, they need shoes and something to eat. They need to know we all care.
I will be out with my camera soon. I've got one more day of delivering the magazine and tomorrow I plan on taking off for the West Liberty and Salyersville area. It's the reporter in me........
And I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet. But I'm going to do something.
Have a blessed day everyone. And keep all the storm victims in your prayers. Not just in Kentucky, but in the other six states that received damage too.
Pam
Now, don't get me wrong. I have enjoyed seeing everyone. It's just the other sights I have seen are heartbreaking. It's good that the people of Kentucky are resilient because that is what it's going to take. Everyone working together to help put these areas back together.
My first day of delivery takes me from Winchester to Olive Hill, and areas in between the two. My sister Roben always goes with me during this trip, so she also got to see some of the devastation. I really didn't think we'd see much since we weren't going southeast at all. Boy, was I wrong.
We took the exit off of Interstate 64 that goes towards Salt Lick and the Cave Run area. We leave magazines at the Kentucky Market Pavilion at that exit. After leaving there, we decided to turn left to see what all the trucks were doing up the road. It was then that we noticed the old Boot Store building across the road. The roof was gone, for the most part at least. Once we started looking around we saw another house with no roof. There was a crew on top fixing it.
And insulation! It was everywhere. In the trees, in the fields. Stuck to signs. Trees were literally spun out of the ground and were laying beside the roads. The trucks we saw? Well, they were still clearing the roadway of trees that had been pulled up by the roots. This was 5 days after the tornadoes had hit. And I hadn't even heard there was damage there!
Between that exit and the Salt Lick area I imagine we saw at least 10 barns or buildings of some type laying in rubble. Lots of roofs gone. And even more insulation. It is blown everywhere. I had the camera with me too. But I just couldn't stop and take pictures. It is still too heartbreaking to record for me. I'd rather stop when the rebuilding process is going on I guess.
I have continued to see destruction each day. The Campton area was hit pretty hard - with hail! The houses are just dotted with hail damage. At least this destruction is fixable. In many cases fixable isn't an option. Yesterday, I saw the destruction along I-75 near the East Bernstadt community in Laurel County. Words just don't do justice to it. The people just standing there, staring at the piles of lumber. Again, I couldn't pick up the camera for that.
I have also heard lots of stories each day. Most of them disturbing. Like generators being turned away from the West Liberty area. Or a local Cattlemen group being turned away - from serving meals to workers! And that is all I am hearing about. West Liberty. And I feel for everyone there. If supplies and equipment are being turned away, the residents aren't getting the help they should be getting.
Who's in control down there? Just who is turning them away? The Red Cross is one report I've heard. They don't want supplies or anything else. Just money. Yes, I'm irritated with this. And I've given to the Red Cross, don't get me wrong. But I also think alot of good, caring people are contributing to the Red Cross fund and I'll be curious to see how much of this money actually gets into the hands of tornado victims.
And it's not just West Liberty that needs help. West Liberty just needs the most help. There is Salyersville, parts of Johnson County, Boone County, Bath County, Laurel County. Schools are gone, homes and businesses are gone. And you can't tell me that there isn't an immediate need for things. Not just money. These people don't need money right now, they need shoes and something to eat. They need to know we all care.
I will be out with my camera soon. I've got one more day of delivering the magazine and tomorrow I plan on taking off for the West Liberty and Salyersville area. It's the reporter in me........
And I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet. But I'm going to do something.
Have a blessed day everyone. And keep all the storm victims in your prayers. Not just in Kentucky, but in the other six states that received damage too.
Pam
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