09/11/05: Rolling through the weekend

Sixteen new rolling duffels made it into the hands of evacuees at Reunion Arena this weekend.

On Saturday, I headed downtown with seven duffels. The beauty shop was back in action, so there were several women and children in the area. Each person that needed a duffel received one; one young woman, when I asked if she needed one, told me no - she'd gotten one from us earlier in the week.

Today, I headed down with nine rolling duffels. But I had an advantage today... I had an inside source.

I'd received a call earlier from a volunteer down at Reunion - she's gotten my phone number from one of the ladies who was running the beauty shop. She told me that there was a woman with a baby that she'd met inside, and if we had any more rolling duffels, she could sure use one.

I met this volunteer down at Reunion shortly after her call. She understood that there were possibly families inside the arena - which, of course, we did not have access to - that may need a bag more than others. While everyone there could use a rolling duffel, there are some, like women with babies or young children, or the elderly, that could handle the rolling suitcase easier than some other type of bag.

This wonderful volunteer agreed to go into the arena and bring out families that she knew desperately needed the rolling duffel. One woman who received a bag had a young child who was in a wheelchair with Down Syndrome. Another older woman had been at the Superdome, and was at Reunion with 11 grandchildren. We also gave a rolling duffel to a woman staying at Reunion who was pushing her twins in a double stroller.

A special thanks goes out today to our angel who was able to help us get the rolling duffels to those who particularly needed them today with her inside connections.

TOTAL ROLLING DUFFELS DISTRIBUTED AT REUNION ARENA TO DATE: 86