Article Packet – American Red Cross



Article Packet – Hurricane Katrina

American Red Cross

This packet includes five articles copied from the American Red Cross Web site that deal with Hurricane Katrina. The titles of the articles are listed below.

• Article 1: It’s a Great Feeling to Help

Article 2: Family Links Up After Katrina

Article 3: A Taste of Home for New Orleans Hurricane Survivors

Article 4: Neighbors Helping Neighbors in Jefferson Parish

Article 5: Maryland Children Send Words of Comfort to Survivors

Directions:

The titles have been removed from each article. Have students read each article and supply a title for the article. This should be the main idea of the passage. After students have written their own titles, compare with the actual titles from the Red Cross Web site.

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Article 1

My Title: _________________________________________________________________

Red Cross Title: ____________________________________________________________

Written by Sara O’Brien , Special to

Tuesday, September 13, 2005 — HOUSTON – A mental health professional stops Teresa Goins and asks her to check on a little girl sitting on a cot farther down the aisle at the Reliant Center.

“I got her to stop crying,” says Judy Boone, “but she’s still not talking. Maybe you can try?”

Goins walks at a fast pace and immediately starts dancing in front of Carmelita, 10.

“Is this how I do it?” she asks. Carmelita shakes her head to say no. “Well, then you show me how.”

But Carmelita wasn’t ready to budge. Goins puts her head up against the little girl’s head, and the two begin whispering and laughing. Then, the two are off to pick up a new teddy bear for Carmelita to sleep with tonight.

Goins is an apartment manager in San Bernardino, California.

“I just sorta adopt all the kids on my street,” she says.

It’s obvious that kids are her thing. She also is a brand new volunteer with the American Red Cross.

“My friend was on the phone donating money to the Red Cross, and I asked her to find out how I could go to help out in person,” says Goins. “They said just call my local chapter. I called, took some classes and here I am. I think the Red Cross is amazing. It’s a great feeling to help the people here who have lost so much. It’s a person’s duty to help – people who can help have no excuse for not being here.”

Before she can say more, she has another little girl asking her for cereal and a woman stopping her to ask for directions. Goins is happy to help them both and waves good-bye as she’s off for the child’s snack and takes the woman with her so she can get the answer to her question.

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Article 2

My Title: _________________________________________________________________

Red Cross Title: ___________________________________________________________

Written by Anita Foster , Special to

Wednesday, September 21, 2005 — DALLAS—Reunion Arena in Dallas, former home to the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks and the NHL’s Dallas Stars, has seen it’s share of celebrations, but none more special than one that occurred last week after a family separated after Katrina was joyfully reunited.

New Orleans residents Ferdinand and Charlotte Toney and their three sons, ages 5-10, hunkered down to ride out Hurricane Katrina in their home. They made it through the storm itself, but then all hell broke lose. According to Ferdinand, the levies near their home broke and water rushed in. They had no choice but to escape and make their way to the Super Dome.

“We were on the I-10 with so many people,” said Ferdinand. “We were trying to get to the Super Dome, but Charlotte was having a really hard time. She went through major surgery the week before the storm and she’s diabetic.”

He desperately flagged down a bus that was only picking up the sick and injured. He put Charlotte on the bus, headed for an unknown destination, and prayed that they would all reunite soon.

Ferdinand and his sons spent several days at the Super Dome.

“We stayed outside,” he said. “It simply wasn’t safe for the boys to be inside the building.”

With dwindling food resources and extreme heat, Ferdinand did everything he could to keep his boys in good health, while his thoughts were constantly on Charlotte.

“I didn’t know where my wife was and I had to tell the boys the Mommy was safe. I just hoped that she was okay and getting medical help.”

Ferdinand and his sons were finally bussed out of New Orleans four days after Katrina made landfall, headed for Dallas. As they were signing in at the American Red Cross shelter in Reunion Arena, he asked how he could find out where his wife had been sent. Karen Jarvis, a Red Cross volunteer, immediately went to work to locate Charlotte.

Jarvis started with the American Red Cross Family Links Registry to begin the search for Charlotte.

“I typed in her name and there she was,” said Jarvis. “She was registered at Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston. I wanted to scream with joy, but I decided to let Ferdinand do that.”

Jarvis called the hospital to ensure that she had found the right person.

“The hospital staff was thrilled. They put Charlotte on the phone and I got to tell her that her husband and boys were safe and sound in Dallas. She started wailing tears of joy and relief. It was an incredible experience to be able to deliver this news.”

After several days in the hospital, Charlotte was released. Red Cross volunteers from Houston picked her up brought her to Dallas. While she was on the way, Ferdinand passed the time by pacing back and forth across the front landing at Reunion Arena, and the boys played games and visited with other shelter residents. The story of the upcoming reunion spread throughout the shelter, and a crowd assembled outside, everyone wanting to share in this moment of happiness. No one was disappointed as Charlotte arrived at Reunion Arena.

The boys were speechless as they laid eyes on their mother for the first time in nearly two weeks. But their silence quickly turned to squeals of delight, and all three landed in Charlotte’s arms with tears of happiness. Ferdinand stood back and wept silently, the relief of seeing Charlotte more than evident.

“We are so happy to be back together. I have my wife and the boys have their mother,” said Ferdinand. We have survived.”

A generous donation from the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Dallas rounded out the reunion with a donated room for the family. With all of the pain and agony, the joy of this reunion, at Reunion Arena no less, gave other families hope that they too would someday be reunited with their loved ones who were torn from them by Hurricane Katrina.

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Article 3

My Title: _________________________________________________________________

Red Cross Title: ____________________________________________________________

Written by Shannon M. Garry , Special to

Wednesday, September 21, 2005 — HOUSTON – Some of life's simplest pleasures, often taken for granted in the course of busy days, can mean so much following a disaster -- like a cup of your favorite coffee.

Hurricane Katrina survivor and New Orleans evacuee Bob Muir, known now to fellow survivors at the Houston Astrodome as “Uncle Bob,” knows that well. Nearly three weeks after setting up house in the Astrodome, then relocating next door to the Reliant Center, Muir’s positive outlook persists. He’s established himself as an unofficial volunteer, serving a special blend of New Orleans coffee – at his own expense – to fellow evacuees, volunteers and law enforcement officials.

While shelter families prepare to call it a day, Muir sets up his cart – loaded with percolator, ground coffee and cups – to begin brewing his blend in the wee hours of the morning for hundreds in the shelter, many of whom recognize the brand as one popular back home.

“They wake up with a smile and get a taste of New Orleans,” Muir said,

The slight, 66-year-old retiree has lived in Houston shelters since being forced from his home in St. Bernard Parish, New Orleans, after Hurricane Katrina devastated the area. Pushed by 16-foot flood waters in the aftermath of the hurricane, Muir waited in the rafters of his shed until his nephew rescued him by boat. Still, Muir considers himself one of the richest men in Houston.

“Every time you make a friend, you get rich,” he said. “I’ve got so many friends it’s pitiful.”

For Muir, providing a memory of home to fellow survivors is a labor of love.

“My days pass faster, and I like to see people smile. We take care of each other—that’s the only way to live,” Muir said, as he shakes hands with a woman lying on cot nearby. “Their name might be Ann Brown. It might be Jim Green. But we all have the same name behind it – Survivor.”

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Article 4

My Title: _________________________________________________________________

Red Cross Title: ____________________________________________________________

Written by Maryann Sinkler , Special to

Monday, September 12, 2005 — WESTWEGO, La. – Thirty-eight cases of canned tuna fish, 122 cases of peanut butter, 60,000 bottles of water and 30,000 Meals Ready to Eat (MRE) are just a few of the hundreds of pallets of donated food that will care for the residents remaining in Jefferson Parish. Those who are holding out – unwilling to leave their homes despite a lack of running water and electricity – will be looked after.

They may not have access to the Jefferson Parish government office any longer, but dedicated employees will not give up on their people. Mike Evans is overseeing the temporary operation. He estimates that in their city of what used to be 500,000 people, they may have about 15,000 still there.

“We have donations from the American Red Cross, Heart to Heart, FEMA, Christian organizations and law enforcement,” he said, “We’re all working together.”

Charlie Johnson – a giant teddy bear of a man – is also a Jefferson Parish employee. He and his co-workers are working hard to serve their shattered neighborhood. Charlie is keeping detailed statistics of contributions, as well as planning the logistics of distributing the critical supplies.

Under Johnson’s direction, they send two to three 18-wheelers into designated points in the neighborhoods, several times daily. His right-hand man, T.C. Hawkins, wearing his new title of warehouse manager, organizes the loading of the trucks containing: two pallets of MREs, two pallets of water and ice, a pallet of beans and franks and personal items such as diapers, [and] toilet tissue….

Red Cross workers at several distribution points, provide the meals and much needed information at the windows of cars in the newly set up “drive through” lanes.

Evans explains that while the Red Cross and the employees of Jefferson Parish take care of the local residents, the people of the neighboring Parish are taking care of them, too.

“They are being terrific to us,” Evans said.

Evans, Johnson and Hawkins intend to return the favor. Even when they see the end of the need in their Parish, they will continue to take donations. As soon as they receive clearance, they will take the needed goods to help others who are still in need.

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Article 5

My Title: _________________________________________________________________

Red Cross Title: ____________________________________________________________

Written by Kate Fowlie , Special to

Monday, September 12, 2005 — MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Scrawled by a child’s hand on orange construction paper, the words read: “Dear Katrina survivors, I hope you find a home. I know I would be veary sad if I loost my house and toys. We are thinking about you.”

Another note decorated with rainbows and smiley faces said: “We care about you 10,000 times.” And, another included this wish: “I hope this feels like a big hug.”

The cards came from school children at Freedom Elementary School in Sykesville, Md., who sent the words of comfort, via the American Red Cross, to Gulf Coast residents who have lost everything.

School counselor Sue Pahl said that students were asking what they could do to help the more than a million people displaced by the catastrophic storm on Aug. 29. The school started a fundraiser but wanted to do more. Her husband Rick Ottenstein is a psychologist and an American Red Cross volunteer who is helping with the hurricane relief operation; he suggested that she have the students send personal notes.

“Rick told me what he was seeing,” Pahl said. “These people really need to know that they aren’t forgotten, and this is something the children can actively do,”

Fifth-grader Phyllis Blessing, 10, said that she just wanted the evacuees to know she was thinking of them.

“When I think of all the stuff I have at my house, I feel so sad for them,” Phyllis said. “I hope they find somewhere to stay until their homes get rebuilt.”

Pahl express-mailed the notes to her husband at the Red Cross disaster relief headquarters in Montgomery, Ala., on Sept. 7. These cards will be posted at Red Cross shelters and service centers in Biloxi, Miss., one of the hardest hit areas.

Many children did the same thing for survivors of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The notes were posted on bulletin boards at Ground Zero, Ottenstein, who also volunteered at the Red Cross relief operation there, indicated.

Personal notes offer solace and support to survivors in a time of tragedy, loss and uncertainty, he shared, saying that it’s another way to show the hurricane evacuees that the rest of the nation cares.

“We wanted to show children affected by the hurricane that people in other parts of the country care about them and what happens to them and that they are not alone,” Ottenstein said. “It gives the children and families a sense of not being abandoned.”

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