On Friday I traveled to Mississippi to join Dr. Henry Johnson, Assistant Secretary of U.S. Department of Education, to announce that First Book will be joining forces with the U.S. Department of Education to distribute more than 200,000 new books donated by Random House Children’s Books to children affected by the hurricanes of 2005.
Living in Washington DC, I often hear the stories about the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina — but I also hear all kinds of stories about the resiliency and determination of the people whose lives were affected by it.
It’s one thing to hear stories, it’s quite another to meet the people who lived them.
While in Mississippi, I was lucky enough to have dinner with a group of First Book volunteers and supporters from across the region. One of these heroines and her family live in a FEMA trailer, she teaches in another trailer, and encounters all kinds of challenges I can’t even imagine. And, yet, she always has the biggest smile, and only talks about the amazing children she’s working with and the way her community is doing everything in its power to make sure their children have the resources they need to learn.
First Book was founded to leverage the work of local heroes like her — and many of you reading this blog. By sharing these books with the children you serve, you are making it possible for these children to have stories at bedtime. You make it possible for them to snuggle beside a nurturing caregiver during a difficult time. You make it possible for them to dream about worlds far beyond what they see outside their own front door.
I was very moved by what I saw in Mississippi — and I promised to tell people living far from the Gulf the powerful stories of what I saw. Because, frankly, I think those of us living in other parts of the country need to be reminded of what is still happening in the Gulf Coast Region. The heroes working in Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Alabama, and Florida have accomplished a great deal, but there is still much more to be done. And one way to prompt others to act is by sharing stories about what local heroes working on the front lines are doing. Perhaps some of you have additional stories to share?
2 responses so far ↓
1 Stephanie R. // Aug 30, 2006 at 11:41 am
What an amazing picture! I actually saw a program on Discovery about the contractors that remove these wrecked boats and it suddenly became clear to me why it’s taking so long to rebuild. There’s just so much to do! Thanks for sharing!
2 Sheila Brennan // Aug 30, 2006 at 2:54 pm
I’m very glad to hear of your efforts helping folks in the Gulf. I just moved back to the DC area after living in Port Arthur, Texas, which sits on the Louisiana border where Hurricane Rita hit pretty hard.
Now, I’m managing an online archive, the Hurricane Digital Memory Bank, hurricanearchive.org, which is seeking stories, photos, and other files from those affected by the hurricanes, or from those helping with relief and recovery efforts.
We too do not want anyone to forget the those affected by Katrina and Rita across the Gulf.
Please take a minute to tell us about your experience, or even to copy and paste the above blog posting. Historians will want to read through various perspectives and we hope that the Hurricane Digital Memory Bank can provide them.
Thanks for all of your hard work!
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