On the impact of Hurricane Katrina: Arthur Elliot (who I interviewed in Families Like Mine) asked me to share the following email from his sister Andi who is the director of Camp Sister Spirit, which was founded by their mothers. They are providing life-saving aid to people in the area, and they need donations.

Here is the email:

Dear Friends,
We need food for us and those who come to us for help. Gift cards (Lowe’s, Sack & Save, Kroger’s, Wal Mart, Home Depot), money, we accept credit cards MC & Visa, we can also give tracking number for direct deposit, Pet (dog, cat, pig) food, folks to adobt pets stricken by the storm and coming to CSS, and volunteers with chain saws, carpenters, portable closets for folks clothes, cleaning supplies, washer & dryer, bleach, TOWELS and gas cards!

Some news:
Andie has given out food boxes to 12 families.
She saw two elderly women in a garden next to a crushed trailor she stopped to ask how they were. They had moved into their barn. One of them was 92. Andie offered them one of the generators that had been donated, food and a fan.

The Ovett Volunteer Fire Dept has gone home exhausted from handing out food, etc. They put a note on the door that tells people if they need help to go to Camp Sister Spirit!!! How’s that for 12 years of waving and smiling!?

Our mail is up and running:
Camp Sister Spirit
PO Box 12
Ovett, MS 39464

Street address: 444 East Side Drive
www.campsisterspirit.com
sisterspir@aol.com

All from Camp Sister Spirit are O.K. but have water (hot water propane),no power and may not have for 3 to 6 more weeks. The damage has been severe. Many, many trees went down. Took 3 days to clear the road in. A tree fell right through the middle of the office trailer crushed copier, washer and dryer and uprooted the porch and gas tank. During the height of the hurricane, Caretaker Terri went out and turned off the gas. Such a brave Dyke!!! Most of the power poles have been snapped in two. The transformer by the grapevines is on the ground. The one by the Center is hanging precariously with a tree leaning on it. We lost half the roof on the Caretaker cottage. A tree fell on the cottage for differently abled people. Most of the roof is off the stage barn. The Freedom fence is down (1/2 mile of used tin fencing). Getting ice, water and food is a difficult task since gas for our vehicles is in short supply and the lines are long.

Don’t know if we’ve told y’all but anytime a storm comes through folks from the Gulf Coast come up to weather it out. This time we had many many people come and now some of them are now homeless and jobless and very thankful to be alive.

The camp is run entirely upon donations. Andi is doing a magnificent job with what she has. If you can help us please do. As always, our resolve to rebuild is strong! Please pass this along and help us get the word out. Thanks.

In Sweet Sister Spirit,
Brenda & Wanda Henson
(985) 497-3456
sisterspir@aol.com
www.campsisterspirit.com

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