The Campbell family asked me to pass this card along to you all. They are so grateful for all you have done for them.

Thanks to all who came to the potluck picnic a couple of weeks ago - it was great to see you all, and to meet those I knew only by their kindness (voices over the phone, and kind words via e-mail).

The Campbells seem to be settling in well, I check in with them every few days to see how things are going. They recently added some furniture to better accommodate their large family (again, donated - wow!), and they were smiling when I saw them earlier today.

We currently have over $970.00 in donations in our utility and grocery fund for the Campbells, and several folks have come forward with grocery gift certificates and general gift cards. Thank you *SO* much for your generosity.

On the right is the Campbell family's own words - and I would add that we (Dave and I) have also been blessed by you all. May your hearts always be warmed by knowing you made such a difference.

Dave and I send our love and thanks - you are wonderful people.

The Campbells came rolling into town tonight around 5:45 p.m. - a rental truck and a van full of people and stuff. They towed their old van up from Louisiana, with "Hurricane Evacuees, Colorado! --->" emblazoned on the side. Meeting the Campbells is something I'll remember forever as one of the best moments of my life. Seeing them so happy, so relieved, was such a heartwarming thing. These are sweet people, folks that I would enjoy getting to know regardless of circumstance. Their children are adorable.

The neighbors saw the writing on the side of the van, and they all came out to introduce themselves and to offer to help with anything needed. (One family even came bearing a freshly baked pumpkin pie!) They all helped carry in things the Campbells brought with them - an interesting assortment of items they had salvaged. I have to say they have a lovely collection of potted ficus trees that they managed to save!

As the neighbor boys helped unload the truck, Madeline and I chatted as she heated spaghettios for the kids. My daughters (being kids like most kids) decided they *really* wanted spaghettios too (although I rolled my eyes, since I had just fed them at home), and Madeline was happily ladling out the goods to her 6 and my 2 - quite the crew all together! My girls really enjoyed playing with their new friends (the Campbell kids wasted no time in making use of all those great toys!), and Sarah (my oldest) invited three of their oldest girls over to our place for a sleepover next weekend. It was nice to see everyone so thrilled to meet each other.

Dennis and Madeline are quite simply amazed and overwhelmed by the kindness being shown to them here. Lots of hugs went around, and I know I had to gulp more than a few times to keep from crying for joy. The Campbells would love to get together with anyone who would like to come to the potluck picnic I had mentioned - we're going to aim for next Saturday, starting in the early evening (perhaps 5:00). I'll send details around (with location, etc.) to the e-mail listserve once it's settled.

As I gathered my daughters to get them back to our van and home for the night, Dennis came outside and looked at their van with the Louisiana license plates and "Hurricane Evacuees" written on its side. He said that now they can wash the lettering off; they're not evacuees anymore. They're home.

Well, in record time (is there a record for this kind of thing?) we pulled together a household for our Louisiana family. We beat the feds, anyway! :-)

So many generous people brought things to the house, and some particularly special people helped me clean and organize on Monday and Tuesday evenings. I'd especially like to thank Anna, Sharmi, Chris, Annie, Jan, Eileen, Paula, Melinda, and Ryan for their extra time and their willingness to help with the less glamorous jobs. The home is essentially put together now, with clean sheets on the beds, towels on the racks, food in the pantry, and a lot of love went into putting everything in its place. The kids will not lack for toys, that's for sure! Mike of ARS Plumbing donated his time to fix a leaky washer valve. And Student Movers went above and beyond to pick up furniture and household items all over the Front Range - from Westminster to Loveland and everywhere in between. And Annie told me today that the car for the family is parked in the driveway now!

Dave saw the house for the first time today (he's been working full time and watching the kids after work is done, so he's been a busy boy!), and he was blown away by everything you all have done. It was great to follow him around, hearing one "Whoa! LOOK at this!" after another.

I've collected $590 so far in cash and checks that will go towards utilities and groceries for the Campbells, as well as some grocery gift cards ($100 so far). I noticed some envelopes have been left for the Campbell family on the dining room table by various folks; I'm sure they will appreciate whatever is in them - whether it's welcome greetings or grocery coupons, or both! Dave and I have committed to at least make sure that the utilities are paid at minimum for their six month stay, and that we'll help with groceries as long as we're able. Funds for both of these things will come out of the account we've established for the Campbells. We know we'll need more help if we are going to pay for food for very long. We are giving all of this money directly to the utility companies or the Campbells themselves; if there is any money left over at the end of 6 months (wow - wouldn't that be great!) we will donate it to the general disaster relief fund of the Red Cross. If you care to contribute, we're extremely grateful for the help, particularly since the mortgage payment will be coming out of a different account - our own!

I received a call from Keith, a pastor from a church in Fort Collins, who is among the drivers bringing survivors of the hurricane to Colorado. Keith and several other folks from the area quite literally decided to drive down to Louisiana with vans to pick people up any families who were willing to come. They were driving over 800 miles a day to get there - we expect it will be slower coming back to Colorado with so many little children in tow. He's so impressed with you all - he says he absolutely gets chills thinking of all that is being done to help this family. We may have some additional resources contributed by Keith's group in Fort Collins - we'll let you know.

Anyway, the Campbell family's departure has been delayed by several things: difficulty getting around Louisiana, they wanted to cash their Louisiana food stamps while they still could (we're certainly glad if they can bring some food along to further the life of the stocked pantry!), and they wanted to go through whatever could be salvaged from their old home. They will be bringing some things along with them, but essentially no furniture or clothes to speak of (at least this is the report from Keith). I imagine the inertia of 6 children hasn't helped move things along, either, but as of today they are DEFINITELY on the road! Cell phone service is very unpredictable in Louisiana right now, so it's been difficult to get information regularly. I expect updates from Keith as they make progress, and our current ETA is Friday, or maybe even Saturday if they need to go slowly for the kids.

Since they will be fresh from their travels this weekend, I will look into scheduling a picnic for next Saturday, rather than this coming one (assuming the Campbells are open to that). I'd like to give them plenty of time to recover before asking them to meet a bunch of people.

Thank you all so much for all your generosity. I am honored to be surrounded by people like you.

Love and thanks,
Amy

How do I describe the collective heart that is going into this? How do I describe dozens of people - some friends, some strangers - bearing blankets, groceries, furniture, cash donations, so many other things with beautiful smiles on their faces? The folks picking up a cleaning rag, or a screwdriver, and just getting to work as happy as can be? Some bring a little, some bring a lot, and I see the same light in their eyes - it all comes from the same great love that is incredible to see in action.

Although the object of our efforts is to support the Campbell family, I want you to know you've healed an extra heart in the bargain. I've been able to turn my despair and helplessness over the hurricane destruction into joy and empowerment, and I've been able to see the very best in people coming out in all kinds of wonderful ways. I asked for a boost, just something to get our efforts off the ground, and you all have made my heart soar! You've blessed me as much or more than the family we'll be hosting. When the Campbell family comes, I will be thanking *them* for coming, for giving me the chance to see the goodness in so many souls.

I know you haven't heard from my husband, Dave, very much in all this, and I want you to know that he's been the wind beneath my wings. He's been taking care of our daughters and cooking for the family and keeping everything at our house running smoothly so I can be out from dawn until midnight (quite literally), taking care of coordinating the housing effort along with my usual school and work commitments. He's been here waiting with a backrub and a smile for me, and he's been as amazed by your generosity and caring as I have. We've been using the word "WOW" a lot lately.

Thank you so much to those who have already helped out, and I look forward to seeing many of you tomorrow (Tuesday, the 13th), when we'll be finishing up the house setup. It has been a joy working on this with all of you.

For those still looking for ways to help, we've set up a dedicated fund for expenses (utilities and groceries) that we'll be using during the Campbells' six month stay. If you want to donate, just click the "Make a Donation" button on the sidebar (it will take you to PayPal):

Brightest blessings to you all.

We have a family coming to Longmont from Slidell, Louisiana. Dennis and Madeline Campbell have six children, ranging from 14 months to 11 years. The pastor at the church in Slidell where the family took shelter sent us a picture, and the Campbells gave me permission to post it here. I've spoken with Madeline several times over the phone, and can say that she and her family sound like very nice people.

The Campbells are expected to arrive late Tuesday or (more likely, given the 21 hour drive) Wednesday. They're being transported by some wonderful folks from Ft. Collins, who as a caravan group are picking up several families from Louisiana. They are driving straight through, to get to them as quickly as possible (wow). We're so excited to be able to help!

Student Movers will be providing a truck and some movers to pick up furniture and household items all over the Front Range on Monday and Tuesday. All our heartfelt thanks to those that are lending and donating things for the Campbells' use.

We will post with updates as we know them!

The house pictured in the upper left corner of this web page is the home we're offering as free, temporary housing to a family made homeless by Hurricane Katrina. The home is located in Longmont, Colorado.

The house was our first home (we still live in town), and we've used it as an on-and-off rental property. My husband and I and lots of friends are willing to lend or donate furniture, linens, kitchen supplies, a small TV, toys for the kids etc. to furnish the house. There are folks willing to pitch in for groceries and meals (food will be free as long as we can manage it), and we may be able to collect help for transportation to get you here. The house is currently vacant, and while we had plans to rent it out again, we decided to tighten our belts a bit and offer it for free to a family that has become homeless due to the hurricane. We want to do whatever we can to help - and we're thrilled to be able to do it! We can offer it for free for 6 months maximum (that's as long as we can afford it without some mortgage help). We'll pay the utilities (again, we'll have some help from friends - thank goodness for them!). We want you to be able to recover and get back on your feet with as much support as we can give.

More about the house: There are two bedrooms upstairs, and two downstairs. One of the bedrooms downstairs has been used as an office, but could be used as a bedroom again in a pinch. The bedrooms upstairs are larger, and one of them has an extra 8 x 13 ft room attached that could be used as extra sleeping space as well (two adults and one child could easily utilize that room upstairs). Both bathrooms are full baths (shower, bathtub, toilet, sink) - one upstairs and one down. We have two queen beds, a set of bunk beds, a full size futon, and a twin bed available. We also have access to a portable crib if a baby needs it (as well as various other baby supplies). Total square footage is 1700 sq. ft. It may be a bit cozy, but we could accomodate 6-8 people as necessary. The house is at the end of a culdesac, right next to an elementary school, and is within easy walking distance of the grocery store, bus service, and various shopping areas. Longmont is a great little town in northern Colorado (about 12 miles away from Boulder, 30 miles away from Denver), a safe and wonderful place to raise kids. The house has fresh interior paint, new carpet and vinyl, and is a nice place to live.

We have friends that may be able to help with job placement, depending on the skills and previous experiences of the people involved.

If you would like to come, please fill out a quick, secure form so we can run a background/criminal check and clear the way for you to move in!

I received a call from Kim Castlebury of the Boulder Daily Camera, who is doing a story on housing being offered in Boulder County. I answered some questions, and I hope the paper will help get the word out!

Nancy Cleveland of Chicago has sent our housing offer information to some hotels in Baton Rouge and Houston, to be posted where the evacuees can access it.

I received an e-mail from Student Movers, Inc., saying they'd be glad to help with picking up furniture and household items when/if a family arrives from the hurricane zone.

And I just want to thank everyone that's offered to help so far - folks from the Speech, Language and Hearing Science department at CU Boulder, the Hill and Nash families, friends and acquaintances from the Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder, longtime family friends, and even total strangers!! (Please note that our effort is not affiliated with any organization or institution - it's just Dave and me doing our best to bring a diverse group together!)