Polly Lynn 1-21-06
01/21/2006 17:58
Hello
my name is Polly and I have lived here in the area
for the last 30 years.When Katrina hit I and others
quickly organized ourselves after recieving an SOS
from the White Rose,Chapter 116,Mendicino County, The
Veterans For Peace bus who at the time had driven
from The Ditch in Crawford,Tx to Covington LA into
the abyss of chaos.Feeling complete outrage and
frustration I set forward in motion and set up a
distribution and contribution center at the Mendocino
Enviromental Center in Ukiah and utilized the
community radio station KMEC 105.1 as well as KZYX
for round the clock info and pleas for aide.The
response was overwhelming and we had supplies stacked
to the ceiling ready to roll.We formed a caravan of
vehicles With Help is on its Way as our motto.After
arriving in Baton Rouge with Lynn Meadows,a PA and my
midwife from 23 years ago, we quickly got our act
together upon arriving in Covington and the VFP
camp,We ran hard long days bringing supplies,medical
aid and comfort to those we could reach.Lynn and I
eventually came home and realised our job was far
from over and formed an organization United Peace
Relief to continue support into the gulf region and
to also begin preparations for the future disasters
there and eventually we would like to branch out to
bring aide to other situations as well with a
networking and supply system ready to go.We have a a
Volunteer Camp in Slidell,La where we house
volunteers and are a resource for outreach to
outlining communities who are in desperate dissaray
to this day. At the camp we offer oppurtunies to work
on a social or physical level wherever your talent
and heart moves you to aide in rebuilding peoples
lives.The following is an account from my last
trip.If any of you are interested in what we are
doing please contact us and we would be happy to
inform you and perhaps guide you if you want to go
down to to volunteer. This is my journal entry from
1/12/06
I am home now or at least part of me is but I must say a big part of me is in New Orleans with the people I have bonded with, Mama D grabbed my arm before I left and asked why I was leaving her now? It was all I could do to choke back my tears but I told her I would be back and would stay with her.She smiled and said good cause I need your kind of love.The eyes of the people lined up for food at the Love Cafe,St Bernard Parish,9th ward , feeding 1500 people a day ,the conversations of suicide,hopelessness,coughing and runny noses,the visible rashes and open sores, the determination and straight ahead stares of I will survive mode,The man in his Sunday suit digging thru the clothes cause he had none but this fine suit to go to church in.He said God walks with me and I know this too shall pass,the very skinny woman with the big eyes blinking back tears cause she can't get warm and her 86 year old mother is'nt responding anymore and won't eat just sits and stares.The ravens crowing in the back ground as I walked thru the Lower 9th Ward so errie and silent, as if a nuclear bomb had hit, where once a neighborhood full of life had once stood and now is flattened and gone. The wind is blowing fabrics hung up in the trees, strange feelings as one walks thru catching glimpses of lives laying in the mud, stuffed animals dishes broken and scattered remnents of pictures and lives everywhere,4 months now and the conditions in some areas have some what improved thanks to the army of youth working thru Common Ground mucking homes but alot is still terriblly wrong and people are missing.I saw yet another dead body just last week covered by a blue tarp,someone had put a small x-mas tree above its head and one has to wonder why is the body still there after 4 months? Bodies are also starting to emerge from the waters popping up decomposed offering closure perhaps for some families still wondering. I want to know why we as a nation have failed so miserably?The agenda of our goverment and city officials is a disgrace on the face of human kind.We are officially a third world . Dyan French aka Mama D struggles with anger she is fighting so hard to maintain a balance still without electricity,tools or help taking care of her neighborhood of 50 families,The Soul Patrol ,her men with the boat that "liberated" Walgreens for food and water when they realised no help was on its way.They tied bodies of their neighbors and friends of a life time to poles and fences so when the hell waters receded they could bury them properly and contact their loved ones.Mama D strong and fierce and so very tired.Mama testified before Congress of the injustices and they tryed to end her testimony but she kept on cause" You all are gonna listen to me."So yes I am back or parts of me are, I am sending a Love package to my Mama D and pictures of us so she will have some treats and memories but I promised her I would also never let up cause the people gots to know of the struggles in the south.With Love and Solidarity, Pollylynn United Peace Relief P.o. Box 933 Ukiah , Ca. 95489 707*463-2848 I am now trying to scrape some funding together for Mama D to buy her wheelbarrows and roofing nails and other supplies so if you would like to help let me know...........
I am home now or at least part of me is but I must say a big part of me is in New Orleans with the people I have bonded with, Mama D grabbed my arm before I left and asked why I was leaving her now? It was all I could do to choke back my tears but I told her I would be back and would stay with her.She smiled and said good cause I need your kind of love.The eyes of the people lined up for food at the Love Cafe,St Bernard Parish,9th ward , feeding 1500 people a day ,the conversations of suicide,hopelessness,coughing and runny noses,the visible rashes and open sores, the determination and straight ahead stares of I will survive mode,The man in his Sunday suit digging thru the clothes cause he had none but this fine suit to go to church in.He said God walks with me and I know this too shall pass,the very skinny woman with the big eyes blinking back tears cause she can't get warm and her 86 year old mother is'nt responding anymore and won't eat just sits and stares.The ravens crowing in the back ground as I walked thru the Lower 9th Ward so errie and silent, as if a nuclear bomb had hit, where once a neighborhood full of life had once stood and now is flattened and gone. The wind is blowing fabrics hung up in the trees, strange feelings as one walks thru catching glimpses of lives laying in the mud, stuffed animals dishes broken and scattered remnents of pictures and lives everywhere,4 months now and the conditions in some areas have some what improved thanks to the army of youth working thru Common Ground mucking homes but alot is still terriblly wrong and people are missing.I saw yet another dead body just last week covered by a blue tarp,someone had put a small x-mas tree above its head and one has to wonder why is the body still there after 4 months? Bodies are also starting to emerge from the waters popping up decomposed offering closure perhaps for some families still wondering. I want to know why we as a nation have failed so miserably?The agenda of our goverment and city officials is a disgrace on the face of human kind.We are officially a third world . Dyan French aka Mama D struggles with anger she is fighting so hard to maintain a balance still without electricity,tools or help taking care of her neighborhood of 50 families,The Soul Patrol ,her men with the boat that "liberated" Walgreens for food and water when they realised no help was on its way.They tied bodies of their neighbors and friends of a life time to poles and fences so when the hell waters receded they could bury them properly and contact their loved ones.Mama D strong and fierce and so very tired.Mama testified before Congress of the injustices and they tryed to end her testimony but she kept on cause" You all are gonna listen to me."So yes I am back or parts of me are, I am sending a Love package to my Mama D and pictures of us so she will have some treats and memories but I promised her I would also never let up cause the people gots to know of the struggles in the south.With Love and Solidarity, Pollylynn United Peace Relief P.o. Box 933 Ukiah , Ca. 95489 707*463-2848 I am now trying to scrape some funding together for Mama D to buy her wheelbarrows and roofing nails and other supplies so if you would like to help let me know...........