After watching and praying to see where Heartfelt can best serve the efforts being put toward assisting and stabilizing those in such critical need from Hurricane Katrina; case by case, we are beginning to hear of unmet needs. One family of 12 here, another family of 24 there, a little church sheltering 700 victims, a whole parish in Beauregard, LA whose resources are failing. And a picture is forming of Heartfelt service in the way we work: finding those that have fallen through the cracks of the normal giving cycles, who have been overlooked or have no one else – – and making a small, simple difference right there!
Our First Wave began last week as we participated in an emergency response to a Heartfelt volunteer’s family of 12 trapped in the town of Independence, LA with no food, medicine or assistance. We joined with others in purchasing food, shoes, clothing and much-needed supplies for the family and through the generosity of Avjet Corporation, loaded up a private jet which immediately delivered enough sustenance for the family and the entire neighborhood!
And so we begin our Second Wave of outreach to the hearts and lives of those brothers and sisters unquestionably less fortunate. Heartfelt’s openness to cash donations (earmarked for Hurricane Katrina victims), gift cards (Target, Wal-Mart, Sears, JC Penny’s), specifically needed/requested items, hands-on volunteers to shop, carry and pack stuff to be shipped out, and help in every form is now immediate; and distribution systems are in place. If you want to donate or assist with any of the above, contact the Heartfelt Foundation at (310) 829-7857 or email to serve@heartfelt.org.
We have a receiving and shipping area set up in our building for goods to come in and go out. The shipping supplies and methodology are in place, and BWR Public Relations has generously offered to handle all shipping costs.
Some of the Second Wave of service projects currently in process for you to assist with:
1. Bethany Church in Louisiana – sheltering/housing 700 evacuees. This church-turned-shelter has a wish list of needs in order to continue serving the people in their care.
2. The Dannell Family of 24 in Louisiana – this family (aged 4-86 years) has lost everything, and what was once 5 separate family units has had to huddle together in 1 small house and help keep each other going.
3. The Beauregard Parish Emergency Response Center – They have been turned into an emergency distribution center but their resources are failing quickly and they are not yet receiving aid from other agencies.
4. The Clyde Jones Family of 4 – (89 year old Grandmother, 70 year old father, 68 year old mother, and 40-something Clyde). This family lost everything in New Orleans and are now huddled in a roadside motel in Woodville, MS.
There are other situations we’re hearing about daily, and we are hoping to make a loving, heartfelt difference with God’s help and the assistance of many.
If you want to donate or assist with any of the above, contact the Heartfelt Foundation at (310) 829-7857 or email to serve@heartfelt.org.
And on September 26th, an update from the Heartfelt Foundation on families assisted so far:
I’d like to share a bit about some the families you’ve assisted in their time of trial by your loving support of the Heartfelt Foundation. We have been on the phones following every plea, or confirming every lead of someone who has a family member or friend in genuine distress as a result of Hurricane Katrina. Our amazing grace has been to find and directly connect with individuals and families whose lives have been dismantled, and who have received no other aid, yet.
Rather than go into the amazing stories of why other aid hasn’t been received by those we’ve found; I wanted to let you know what has been done just this past week from our little office here:
AGUILLARD FAMILY – 12 family members were stranded in 1 house in a small Louisiana town with no food, water, clothes, or bath/hygienic items. Between Heartfelt and several others, a private plane was recruited, filled with a huge supply of everything the family would need for weeks, and delivered to them within a short driving distance. (NOTE: This family was the first group we assisted a week after the Hurricane).
JONES FAMILY – Clyde Jones rescued his 68 year old mother, 70 year old father and 82 year old grandmother from New Orleans and found a side-of-the-road motel in Mississippi for shelter. They had only the clothes on their backs. Before having to leave the motel to run from Hurricane Rita last week, we had already sent them new clothes and shoes, caps, special gifts for the grandmother, shampoo, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, gift cards from Target, and help with getting gas to evacuate.
DANNEL FAMILY – This New Orleans family of 24 (and 5 houses) lost practically everything they owned and moved into the 1 remaining family house. We have helped stabilize them with clothing for each person or child, shoes, underwear, gas cards, toiletry items, household items, linens, pillows, gift cards from Wal-Mart and JC Pennys.
EILERS FAMILY – Carol & Eric Eilers, their 19 year old son Brett, and 16 year old daughter Caroline, and dog, lost their home and everything in it. They have relocated temporarily to another Louisiana town. We sent new shirts, pants, shoes, caps, backpacks, dog food, shampoo and toiletries, along with a gift card from Wal-Mart to buy more necessities.
MARCHAND FAMILY – Bette and Paul Marchand are homeless and jobless, as all was lost in Katrina. They have been waiting in a motel in Mississippi for help from FEMA but it hasn’t arrived yet. They are with their daughter Danielle, and her 2 children, 13 year old Shelby and 15 year old Arielle, and dog. We sent new clothing, shoes, toiletries, teen-girl clothes and gifts, stuffed animals, Wal-Mart gift cards, and dog food.
Special gratitude and blessings to BWR Public Relations in Los Angeles and New York who have joined our efforts and is graciously handling the shipping of each relief package, for these 37 people and others to come.
Additional gratitude to MSIA who has generously allowed us to use space in their building to receive, store, pack and ship out these relief items.
There are more of these stories we hear of every day, and more families needing help. And there is an abundance of resources waiting to share with those in need. Thank you for that.
And on September 28th:
Today we shipped out 25 boxes filled with the loving items that have come in for our Louisiana and Louisiana-evacuated families! Once again, the public relations firm of BWR has footed the bill in order to insure the boxes get sent quickly and efficiently. Without this great help, we would be dealing with boxes stuck on the ground and people still waiting to be assisted.
Here are the details:
THE DANNEL FAMILY – the second shipment to this family of 24 had been held up because their little town of Derider, LA was under mandatory evacuation due to Hurricane Rita. The family had to scatter and is now wending it’s way back to the 1 remaining house. We found out today that 2 of the family members had driven to New York to be with a friend. So we shipped the remaining boxes to New York and they will now be hand-carried back to the family in Derider on the weekend. We sent lots of new clothes for the larger sized family members, a cot, shoes, bedding, towels, gift cards for gas and replacing household items. The family tells me there has been no Red Cross or FEMA in Derider; and they are so grateful for all those making it possible for them to begin recovery.
NEW WINE CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP – Pastor Neil Bernard – this is a small church-turned-shelter in La Place, Louisiana, that is taking in as many evacuees as they can hold. They needed household and cleaning supplies most of all, along with soap, deodorant, underwear and white T-shirts. We sent tons of paper towels, Clorox wipes, and the small amount of white T-shirts, soap and deodorant we had left. We will need to get more to send to them.
DR. PAT BAILEY – a missionary from the Jesse Duplantis Ministries is serving the poorest of the poor through the Compassion Center in Destrehan, Louisiana. These are people who were homeless or on the fringes of poverty BEFORE Hurricane Katrina and who are now in unbelievable conditions. The Compassion Center is acting as a distribution center to the entire parish and Dr. Pat and her team is going out on foot to find and aid as many people as possible. We sent 19 boxes of supplies, canned goods, towels, sheets, paper goods, baby food and formula, backpacks with school supplies, and toiletries. More is needed here, as well.
Thanks to all of you who are making such a loving difference in these lives that thought they had been forgotten.
In loving service,
Patti Rayner and the
Heartfelt Foundation
For more information about the Heartfelt Foundation, visit their website at www.heartfelt.org.
