STL welcomes flood victims

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STL welcomes flood victims
Wednesday, September 7, 2005 7:17 PM CDT


Brittney McKinnies and Antwan Cleaves fold clothes donated to the 4Sho4Kids Foundation for hurricane victims. About 100 volunteers worked all weekend to handle the donations. Photo by Demond Meek

Locals open homes to Gulf Coast evacuees

By Meliqueica Meadows Of the St. Louis American

Officials are busing thousands of evacuees from New Orleans and other areas hard hit by Hurricane Katrina, and the citizens of St. Louis are opening their homes to family, friends and even strangers fleeing the devastated area.

Nearly 2,000 evacuees are expected to arrive in St. Louis this week and will be housed temporarily in a hanger at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport and the former Gumbo Jail in the Chesterfield Valley.

As the city, county and a host of relief organizations prepare to receive and integrate the shattered Gulf Coast evacuees, many local families are already making folks from downriver feel at home.

Monique and Brandon Martin have welcomed 11 members of Monique's family into their small University City home. Monique, a New Orleans native, watched in horror as news reports predicted Katrina's path would run right through her hometown.

Monique's mother, Aloma Hutchison, was prepared to ride out the storm with her husband, Charles Hutchison, and other family members. But early Sunday morning, August 28, her husband woke her and said they should get out of the city. They rounded up the family and pets in a five-car convoy and left their home near the London Canal behind Dillard University.

"We are all glad that Charles decided to leave," Aloma said. "If he'd let me sleep, it would have been too late."

"Actually, if he wouldn't have decided to leave, we all would have stayed," Monique's brother-in-law Brian Williams said.

After a 15-hour drive, 11 family members arrived on Monique and Brandon's doorstep weary, but thankful that they, unlike many others, had somewhere to go.

"It's nice to be here with a family and eat and not be in a gym somewhere sleeping on cots," Brian said.

The New Orleans clan included Aloma and Charles; sister Charmaine Williams and brother-in-law Brian with their two-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, and dogs, Cutter and Fudge; sister Margaux Joseph and brother-in-law Bernard Joseph and their two-year-old son Tyler; and sister Nicole Hutchison with her daughters Kaile and Taylor.

It has been an adjustment getting used to the influx of kids, dogs and noise, but Monique would not have it any other way.

"I'm just glad they made it here safely," she said. "I don't care if we're sleeping on top of each other. They're not drowning in flood waters or being in the middle of that confusion downtown by the Superdome or being bused out to Houston. I'm glad that they are all right here with me."

Floy and Maria Stewart understand what she means. The sisters are New Orleans natives who thought their family had made it to safety only to learn that their mother, grandmother and several relatives tried to evacuate, but were stranded in Meridian, Mississippi with a flat tire and no access to their bank accounts. So Maria drove to Mississippi to bring the family to St. Louis.

"There's no gas, and people were actually fighting for gas and ice at gas stations," Maria said. "The lines would be like a mile long at these pumps that didn't have any gas, and they were waiting for the gas trucks to come. The police were trying to keep order because the people were desperate."

Their mother, Geraldine Stewart, lived by the Industrial Canal, within walking distance of the French Quarter.

"It's complete devastation. You almost can't conceptualize it, but the whole city is pretty much destroyed," Floy said.

"Everyone knows about the big things, but the little things have been lost as well, like our baby pictures, pictures of our father, who is deceased, and pictures of family members who are deceased. You just don't lose assets, but part of yourself that can't be replaced."

Helping hands

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin has been the most vocal and outraged of many Gulf Coast critics of the Bush administration's sluggish and ineffectual response to the disaster. The Times-Picayune, New Orleans' daily newspaper, led the cry for the resignation of Michael Brown, the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and other FEMA executives.

In the absence of an adequate response from the government, individuals and non-governmental organizations are pitching in to offer assistance.

As Maria Stewart said, "After four days, President Bush finally says, ‘Hey, maybe I should do something.' Thank goodness people are reaching out right now."

Locally, among many other efforts, the American Red Cross and United Way of Greater St. Louis have been very active. State Rep. Maria Chappelle-Nadal has been working to help a family of 40 in University City displaced by Hurricane Katrina and has issued a call for the community to rally around evacuees. Nelly's 4Sho4Kids Foundation collected donations over the weekend, and the Rev. James Morris of Lane Tabernacle Church started Operation R.A.P (Respond and Provide). The organization has sent a truckload of supplies to the Gulf Coast and plans to send an additional truck and two 47-passenger charter buses Friday.

"The purpose of the charter buses is to rescue folks and bring them back," Morris said. "Once they get back to St. Louis, we're going to be working with the county health department for them to get the kind of medical treatment they may need, and then we're going to feed them and then provide housing."

Around 85 families have offered to welcome R.A.P. evacuees into their homes, and Morris hopes more will sign up at their riverfront rally scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m.

Morris said the organization would continue its efforts for as long as there is a need. Maria Stewart said people in St. Louis should understand that these people will be in need for a long time to come.

"A lot of people are disconnected in St. Louis from this whole matter because they're not directly affected, but it's our people down there," Maria said.

"You turn on the news, and you can see them laying in the streets. There's no water and no food. They keep busing them places and not giving them anything. What are these people going to do in the long term? There are no jobs and no money. It's a desperate situation, and I hope people understand that."

For more information on helping, see the Red Cross ad on A11 and the United Way item on A14. Families in need of assistance also can call the emergency number for the St. Louis County Executive Office at (314) 628-5400. Operation R.A.P can be reached at (314) 533-0534, ext. 0.