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A Homeschooler Needs Help

10:45 PM, Dec. 1, 2005

Read this please, pray about it, and feel free to contact this woman:

Dear Paul and Gena,

I am writing from the area where Katrina hit. The destruction here is like nothing I've seen the whole time I've been on the coast- All my life. The coast is destroyed from one end to the other. People have lost their homes.

So many people have nothing left. All they have worked for all their lives was washed away. There are elderly that have no way to rebuild. There are people sleeping in tents. There are people sleeping in shelters, people are still in shelters out of state.

Thousands have lost their homes. Because of the tidal surge (22 feet or higher) people that were told not to buy flood insurance are now- homeless- no way to rebuild. This is the story of so many.

There is an elderly couple in our church who stayed in their home. The water came in fast, they got on the kitchen table, the water kept coming. Her husband started knocking a hole in the attic to put his wife in. Praise God, after the water reached the top of the fridge, it started to recede. They waited soaking wet for 7 hours until some came to get them. This couple is in their 80's with health problems. They lost everything. Their family members' homes had damage; they can't help them.

I had family and friends that lost everything. How do you start over in your 80's? How do you start over without a job? Thousands of jobs are gone.

People don't have blankets, sheets, pots, pans, just basic things- Towels and pillows.

There are still debris everywhere. We are only 1/4 of the way cleaned up.

Towns, neighborhoods wiped out. People waiting for inspectors to tell them if they can rebuild or fix what was destroyed. People are still being fed out of tents and supplies are running low.

In Jackson County where I live, they decided not to renew our food cards. People are living in tents, living on unemployment, if they don't renew these cards, people will go without.

My husband's job is gone, we have 6 children. Because the storm is over, wer are old news, but people are just as much in need as after the storm, maybe more so, because they need help rebuilding their homes.

If is weren't for Christian releif workers after teh storm, so many would not have made it.

We live in a rural area, if the churches here weren't giving out food, personal needs, cleaning supplies, and other things, we would have been in bad shape. There were workers from so many denominations; it was such a blessing. Many are still here, but disaster is way beyond anything anyone has seen. The only way people here are going to make it is if brother reaches out to brother- what a witness of our love of God.

Could you please let your readers and anyone else know the needs of the people here?

Several homeschooling friends of mine have blessed me so much. They have sent items for victims and put my letter on their e-zines. But it's just not enough. I know people have donated money, but people here haven't seen any of it. The people here need items- blankets, sheets, towels, etc. Lowes gift cards would be a blessing. The Christian community needs to join together and help the people here.

People are feeling forgotten, they are tired, worn out. They need your's and every other Christians' help. What a blessing this would be.

The holiday season is coming- Christ's birthday. What a gift to our Lord, if we showed our love to our neighbors.

Several of your contributors have blessed me so much. Sharon Jeffus and Jennifer Steward. They have sent things and lifted my spirits so much, they will never know how they have helped me.

I am asking you to please help me make people aware of the needs here. There are no news crews, no movie stars now, just us, helping each other out.

The items I have recieved go fast, with Christmas coming I am trying to make family gift bags. For parents and children- everyone loves to get a gift.

God has put helping these families on my heart, so I can't stop until these families are blessed.

I am still homeschooling 5 of my children. It's been hard, because I do unit studies and we've lost so many libraries, but I manage thanks to some very sweet friends in the homeschooling community. Between homeschooling and helping families, my plate is full- overflowing- I need help. If your staff and the others that help you with your magazine could go to their churches and tell them the needs here, I could help so many more people.

I am praying God sends help so these families can have homes again. Not too big for God.

Please pray about my request. So many would be blessed.

Sharon Cameron

2309 Rloyds Lane

Vancleave, MS 39565

7 comments, Link
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Comments
wow...

12:58 AM, Dec. 2, 2005, posted by julie

all i can say is wow....we do forget don't we? My parents live in Pensacola, FL and went through Hurricane Ivan -- a huge oak tree slammed through the middle of their house destroying the living room, dining room, the kitchen and a grand piano they were "keeping safe" for the owners while they were in another country.

On Chicago news, we didn't see even see half of the "REAL" damage that was there, and after a couple of days it was old news and never to be seen again. A year later, my parent's home was finally rebuilt...their insurance company provided a travel trailer for the whole family to live in -- 2 parents, 5 kids ages 4-20 -- they had to live in this thing for about 9 months...but at least they had that...

Let's act on this reminder letter and not forget our neighbors in the south...

So

2:27 AM, Dec. 2, 2005, posted by mamaduso

What is the best way to get her help? I'd love to put together a care package. I know that their needs are much more important that toys and gifts but I can't help think of the children that won't get much or anything this christmas. I wonder if Samaritans Purse helps with our country or if they only go overseas? Wouln't it be great if some of those kids got shoeboxes this Christmas? This is another perfect way to teach my kids how to give gifts to Jesus (see my post on it, I have not idea how to link in a comment box). I was just thinking this evening after seeing our giving tree at church yesterday about where we could find families really in need of something special this Christmas. This just may be an answer for me. The reason I say this is because the requests on the tree were things like snowboards and gameboys and such and I just didn't fell led to pull a tag off the tree.
Susan

WoW~

9:10 AM, Dec. 2, 2005, posted by Boltbabe

This year, my husband and I had decided to "skip" Christmas for ourselves. We decided to use the money we would have spent on each other towards Katrina victims. Honestly, we were having a hard time doing so. It is hard to donate things, all the agencies want $. As the writer points out, these people don't see the money. Thank you for posting this. As God would have it, we now know where andhow to use our Christmas gift this year! I am posting this on our hs board, too.

More help...

9:39 AM, Dec. 2, 2005, posted by DandelionSeeds

So with 3000 people on the HSB, I know that this will be addressed... but how many others aren't able to ask? Is there some way of finding out churches down there that are set up to receive donations... even by truck?

In Him,
Amy

Is a Paypal account...

12:17 PM, Dec. 2, 2005, posted by takingthechallenge

....available for our blogging community to donate directly too?? I know one of our bloggers (40's moment here and my mind is blanking out on her name) had one set up for a while, when she and her husband were going out and directly handing out money to those in need.
Also, for these elderly people living in tents, is travel still available to them to go where they would like? I'm sure people in other states would still open their homes if the travel was available to those in need.

Untitled Comment

1:26 PM, Dec. 2, 2005, posted by MySmokyMtnHomeschool

Lorie Seabrook is the one who set up a hurricane relief fund...

Untitled Comment

2:37 PM, Dec. 2, 2005, posted by mamaduso

Does she have a phone number or email address?
Susan

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