09/04/05: A wonderful, exhausting day

Today was wonderful. The Rolling Duffel Project delivered ten rolling duffel bags, filled with items, to ten families at Reunion Arena in Dallas who had nothing to hold their few belongings but a thin black plastic garbage bag.

I'm so tired at the moment, I'm afraid I won't go into every detail that we went through today. I'm going to save that for the near future, when my mind is fresher and my fingers are more nimble.

But there's one thing that I've got to say before I go to bed tonight.

I spent today with the kindest people imaginable. There was Randy, who hailed his teenage son to put their belongings in their duffel bag when he got it. Dorothy wanted size 6 underwear for her five-year-old son because the size 4 underwear he'd gotten at the shelter were too small. Mellee was initially too shy to tell us that her two children needed shoes that fit.

An extraordinary theme emerged as we met and talked with more people today. Not one person we met - not one - wanted anything specific for themselves. If they had a special request for us to get something, it was for their children. Shoes that fit. Socks for their feet. A pair of shorts in the right size. Clean underwear.

Only for their children.

Each and every person that I spoke with today was a true gem. There are so many people in this country who are so gifted in their own ways. I was lucky enough to meet so many of them today.

A couple of organizational notes before I call it a night:

1) Now that it's been proven that this concept works, my friend Kendall and I will be heading out again tomorrow to continue. Our goal for tomorrow is to donate twenty rolling duffels bags to families in shelters in Dallas.

2) Kendall has made her credit card processing available to The Rolling Duffel Project. Tomorrow morning, I will put a link up here that will connect to the Living Yoga Dallas online boutique. If you'd like to make a donation via credit card to buy rolling duffels for hurricane evacuees, you'll be able to do so tomorrow.

3) This blog is a color block disaster. As a graphic designer by trade, it's driving me nuts. But my main concern is to get aid out to those who need it, and not make this page look pretty. I'll get to that as I can.

4) I have to work on the sidebar here to get important information up. But for now, if you want to email me, you can reach me at:

rollingduffelproject AT gmail.com

Get rid of the spaces, and replace AT with the @ symbol.

5) Yes, we're open for donations. More info tomorrow.

Have a good evening or day or whatever applies as you read this, and check back soon for more updates.

And thank you.

TOTAL ROLLING DUFFELS DISTRIBUTED AT REUNION ARENA TO DATE: 11