A day spent preparing a shelter for people from New Orleans (LOTS OF PICS)

[The Jacobin]

I spent today working to clean up a place for people from New Orleans. This building used to be a retirement home for widows of masons. It closed a few years ago. The owner contacted the city and said it could be used as a shelter. Here is the front of the building.





People showed up all day offering to help or donate money or items. This was the check-in desk.



Here are some of the facilities.







It needed a lot of cleaning and moving furniture around to get it ready to be lived in by a variety of families.









The city purchased a bunch of cots for rooms without beds.



We also got professional help.











There will be an area for children to play!







And we have supplies for basic needs.

[eileen_d]

1. Thank you! nt *kick*

[cynatnite]

2. Wonderful!!! n/t

[Mikimouse]

3. What city ?

[The Jacobin]

16. Arlington, TX

Home of the Texas Rangers and soon, the Cowboys, too.

[xultar]

4. WOW THANK YOU!!!

[Arugula Latte]

5. Wow -- thanks for posting those!

It looks like it will be a good shelter -- better than most by a longshot, I'm guessing.

They are converting an empty high school here in Portland into a shelter, and it looks like there will be many, many people housed in a big room (gym?) on cots. Not so much privacy.

[benito]

6. kicked, nominated and thank you for doing that!

[MuseRider]

7. That is a lovely facility!

Good work, looks like a comfortable place to reside while they recover. I'll bet you are tired but a very good kind of tired. Rest well.

[phusion]

8. Awesome

So organized...

[SammyWinstonJack]

9. Thank you!

:-)

[Catherine Vincent]

10. Thank you and thank your city.

Btw, what city? Also, you said this building was vacant? Very nice and sturdy looking to be vacant.

[smurfygirl]

11. these are great. I went to the red cross this morning for

disater relief training and 140 other people showed up. I was really surprised when I went out in the parking lot and almost every car had either a kerry/edwars sticker, a bush bashing sticker, or a dem donkey. It was awesome. I love my fellow dems!

[Redstone]

12. That shows that no matter how screwed up the American

government is, the PEOPLE of America are wonderful and kind and generous and all kinds of other adjectives.

I'm sure the folks from New Orleans who end up there will be more than grateful.

All the people involved with this should be commended and supported. I, for one, would rather send help so an effort like this where I know for sure my money will get used wisely.

Please post or PM me an address so I can send a contribution.

Redstone

[tk2kewl]

13. The flowers are beautiful!

How nice to think to bring them something beautiful. O8)

[nonconformist]

14. That is wonderful! nt

[rox63]

15. This is wonderful!

Looks like a great facility. People can recover from this tragedy here with a bit of dignity and comfort.

[SeattleGirl]

17. It may not be their real home

but you folks have done a fabulous job making a new home for them. Thank you so much!

[For PaisAn]

18. Thank you

Thank you for sharing a little bright spot in this horror.

[qanda]

19. That's just wonderful

God bless your heart.

[brentspeak]

20. Excellent!

[Beelzebud]

21. Oh wow! You folks are AMAZING.

You give me hope that all is not lost in America.

THANK YOU!

[IndyOp]

22. Who is helping you with funds?

I have given to several organizations and am ready to give more - I want to know who is getting the job done...

...and thank you, thank you, thank you!

You will be blessed - you get to play with the babies!

[coffeenap]

23. My family and I would love to help--could you please post an

address and any guidelines? Thanks--what a great thing to do!

[CatBoreal]

24. That is absolutely amazing.....

Great photos...

Got an adress so we can donate some items?

[The Jacobin]

25. I will check

The city of Arlington Texas had the opportunity to set this up. They have used volunteers from city staff, families, and community to get it ready. It is expected to be ready by Thursday and they will move people from rec centers into these private rooms.

My wife is a department manager at the city and is still out at the home. I will ask here which charities are supporting this and PM you (and all the others who asked) later.

[Nictuku]

26. Beautiful! (eom)

[txindy]

27. Fantastic! Absolutely fantastic!

What a wonderful person the owner of that building is to open it as a shelter. And what a great bunch of people to jump right in and make it into a comfortable place to call home for a while for those evacuees. That's awesome. Truly.

Now THIS is the Texas I know and love.

[Carolab]

28. That's EXACTLY how the abandoned Federal buildings could be used.

There are Federally owned buildings in every major city that are empty and unused. Put them to use!

[SoCalDem]

31. And EVERY town has a closed up building or two

We have a closed up Home Base that is 180K sq feet, and a theatre closed up right next to it. There's no reason that cities could not restore services to these empty places and let local people run them and furnish them with donations..

[flygal]

29. Thank you - from someone over in Europe

feeling helpless. I'm in tears seeing how much hard work you all are doing.

[enigmatic]

30. Thank you

You, and the rest of the people who donated and helped, are the best that humanity has to offer. I salute you:)

[mogster]

32. Amazing!

You're doing good work there :-)

[xultar]

33. kick

[MadeinOhio]

34. The cleanup was awful, but the facility, new one is great.

:thumbsup:

[Pacifist Patriot]

35. Lovely, thank you!

[The Jacobin]

36. OK. Here's how to donate

The shelter is run by the City of Arlington, TX. Here is a blurb from the paper:

City of Arlington officials have established a hurricane relief fund to assist evacuees. Cash and checks will be accepted in person in the Finance Department at the Municipal Office Tower, 201 E. Abram St., eighth floor, or by mail to City of Arlington Hurricane Relief, P.O. Box 1165, Arlington, TX 76004. Checks should be made out to City of Arlington Hurricane Relief.

And here is the website:
http://www.ci.arlington.tx.us/fire/oem/katrina.html