Matt Jones' Random Acts of Verbiage

The blogosphere has been moved by the events in the southeast. Here I offer links you should visit for more information and places you can donate to (also be sure to check and see if you company matches donations). This post is part of the Hurricane Relief Blog Day set for September 1st (yes, technically I wrote this on August 31, its ok). Stop by to add your blog to the list of those participating.

The Truth Laid Bear has put together an aggregator of Katrina Relief Blogs so stop by there to see the most current posts as well as the most linked to (so hopefully most helpful).

Hugh Hewitt, Michelle Malkin, Captain’s Quarters, and numerous bloggers are supporting Instapundit‘s master list of Katrina support charities.

I would like to add World Vision to the list as they have setup a page for Hurricane Katrina family support. World Vision is always a great charity to give to as they have low overhead and seem to be a very trustworthy organization. They are continually offering support all around the world. So again, head over to Instapundit’s Katrina relief page for other information. If you choose to donate to World Vision (or any other charity) and want to add your donation to today’s fundraiser, head here and add your contribution (If you want to use my blog as the referral, it is under “Matt Jones’ Random Acts of Verbiage…”).

Blog Cruiser is also offering a post on Katrina relief efforts and information so stop by there as well. One site that Blog Cruiser has pointed out is KatrinaCheckIn.org a site that is trying to help those in the area affected get in contact with their loved ones.

Michelle Malkin has also been offering numerous posts that are well worth the read (especially here, here, here, and here). She has some great thoughts as well as numerous links across the blogosphere.

And finally (for now), there is a Katrina Wiki page that has loads of information on places to give, where to give help, how to give help, where to get help, and numerous other resrouces. Check it out.

Also, check out NBC’s WLBT as they have some amazing video footage of Katrina.

The situation there is quite saddening. If anything, like the Tsunami in South East Asia did, it helps us realize how frail life is and what is actually important in life. I just offer prayers that the best of people will shine through in this situation and that all the “God bless…” and “we are praying for…” will actually mean something to people and that they will see what God truly has offered them.

Shalom
Ή χάρις του κυρίου ημων Ίησου Χριστου μεθ’ υμων.

EDIT:
I want to share this email from a doctor in New Orleans who has set up shop. This came from The Hedgehog Blog. (via h/t Instapundit)

From: Gregory S. Henderson MD, PhD
Date: Tue, 30 Aug 2005 20:21:55 -0500
Subject: Re: thoughts and prayers

Thanks to all of you who have sent your notes of concern and your prayers. I am writing this note on Tuesday at 2PM . I wanted to update all of you as to the situation here. I don’t know how much information you are getting but I am certain it is more than we are getting. Be advised that almost everything I am telling you is from direct observation or rumor from reasonable sources. They are allowing limited internet access, so I hope to send this dispatch today.

Personally, my family and I are fine. My family is safe in Jackson, MS, and I am now a temporary resident of the Ritz Carlton Hotel in New Orleans. I figured if it was my time to go, I wanted to go in a place with a good wine list. In addition, this hotel is in a very old building on Canal Street that could and did sustain little damage. Many of the other hotels sustained significant loss of windows, and we expect that many of the guests may be evacuated here.

Things were obviously bad yesterday, but they are much worse today. Overnight the water arrived. Now Canal Street (true to its origins) is indeed a canal. The first floor of all downtown buildings is underwater. I have heard that Charity Hospital and Tulane are limited in their ability to care for patients because of water. Ochsner is the only hospital that remains fully functional. However, I spoke with them today and they too are on generator and losing food and water fast. The city now has no clean water, no sewerage system, no electricity, and no real communications. Bodies are still being recovered floating in the floods. We are worried about a cholera epidemic. Even the police are without effective communications. We have a group of armed police here with us at the hotel that are admirably trying to exert some local law enforcement. This is tough because looting is now rampant. Most of it is not malicious looting. These are poor and desperate people with no housing and no medical care and no food or water trying to take care of themselves and their families. Unfortunately, the people are armed and dangerous. We hear gunshots frequently. Most of Canal street is occupied by armed looters who have a low threshold for discharging their weapons. We hear gunshots frequently. The looters are using makeshift boats made of pieces of styrofoam to access. We are still waiting for a significant national guard presence.

The health care situation here has dramatically worsened overnight. Many people in the hotel are elderly and small children. Many other guests have unusual diseases. We have commandered the world famous French Quarter Bar to turn into an makeshift clinic. There is a team of about 7 doctors and PA and pharmacists. We anticipate that this will be the major medical facility in the central business district and French Quarter.

Our biggest adventure today was raiding the Walgreens on Canal under police escort. The pharmacy was dark and full of water. We basically scooped the entire drug sets into gargace bags and removed them. All under police excort. The looters had to be held back at gun point.

In all we are faring well. We have set up a hospital in the the French Qarter bar in the hotel, and will start admitting patients today. We are anticipating to dealing with multiple medical problems, medications and and acute injuries. Infection and perhaps even cholera are anticipated major problems. Food and water shortages are iminent.

The biggest question to all of us is where is the national guard. We hear jet fignters and helicopters, but no real armed presence, and hence the rampant looting. There is no Red Cross and no salvation army.

In a sort of cliche way, this is an edifying experience. Once is rapidly focused away from the transient and material to the bare necessities of life. It has been challenging to me to learn how to be a primary care phyisican. We are under martial law so return to our homes is impossible. I don’t know how long it will be and this is my greatest fear. Despite it all, this is a soul edifying experience. The greatest pain is to think about the loss. And how long the rebuild will [take]. And the horror of so many dead people .

PLEASE SEND THIS DISPATCH TO ALL YOU THINK MAY BE INTERSTED IN A DISPATCH From the front. I will send more according to your interest. Hopefully their collective prayers will be answered. By the way suture packs, sterile gloves and stethoscopes will be needed as the Ritz turns into a MASH.

Greg Henderson