OT: Where will the Evacuees GO??

BonnieBlue San Angelo, TX

Our paper had an article about a number of refugees who have been welcomed by friends and relatives in various California cities. One of the local churches is setting up a program to find homes for strangers.

I heard that Wisconsin will be taking on some. Carol In WI

I saw somewhere that they are being given cell phones..... er ... since no-one will know anyone else`s cellphone number and is not likely to for some time??????

Pat P

Tia Mary wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@individual.net:

There are already plans to do so, if they aren't already happening. Chicago and Boston will be taking in a couple thousand each,and I've heard reports that they will be sent to Utah and Oregon as well. And that's just the people who were evacuated post-storm -- a friend's brother who got out before the storm is staying in a hotel 3.5 hours away,but that was the closest he could find. A friend of mine, who left during the storm (idiot), is currently sleeping in his car somewhere in Mississippi. He's just hoping to find enough gas to get somewhere else. I suspect that for all the tens of thousands being evacuated we've heard about on the news, at least an equal number are fending for themselves.

K

Some are coming here because of strong Acadian (Cajun) ties to Louisiana, they regularly have get togethers in the summer but like you, I thought, winter will be an ugly surprise no doubt !

By the way, the ships are finally leaving the harbour today, navy and coast guard and interviews showed people only too keen to go and help, wishing they had left sooner. The Red Cross people already left last week.

We've been hearing that Nebraska will be taking some families as soon as possible. The shelters and community centers have been ready and waiting for several days now - but no refugees have been brought here yet.

One interesting destination will be Montreal. McGill University has arranged to take in university students from Louisiana so that they will not miss a school year. Dawne

The first 100 for Akron are expected to arrive today according to the Beacon Journal. Not sure how many they will take in total. Iowa has requested 5000. I'll bet they won't want to let them move back since the state is so worried about its declining population.

Upstate SC, close to the mountains, should be getting close to 2,000 or more, today or tomorrow, who I understand will be going to the hhospitals. Barbara in SC

I heard that on CBC this a.m. and wondered if perhaps that was because they were French speaking. They said their immigration papers were being fast tracked so they could start on time.

That could be a good thing. If you have just lost everything you ever owned, it would be nice to go somewhere for a new start with people who want you. All of us have been presented with changes in our lives we didn't necessarily look for, this might be a good thing for some. I hope so anyway.

A local businessman flew 82 of them to San Diego this week.

-- Tamara in sunny San Diego snipped-for-privacy@prodigy.net

I doubt it. Despite the Cajun heritage, I don't think the proportion of French speakers in LA is very high at all. Also, isn't McGill an English language university? Plus, many of Tulane's students would be from other parts of the US. My understanding is that McGill is responding to a request put out by the AAU (of which Tulane and McGill are both members) for any universities which can accommodate displaced Tulane students. I don't know how they'll go about figuring which students will go where. It may be that it is simply left up to the individual students to attempt to find somewhere they'd like to go that will take them, or perhaps there will be some prioritization for those students whose homes are in damaged areas such that they don't have anywhere to go if they aren't in school.

Best wishes, Ericka

You are right--the language of instruction at McGill is English. It is just being done as a gesture of help. Dawne, proud mum and mum-in-law of McGill graduates

This is why I made a donation to one of the animal charities. I did hear on the news yesterday that a bunch of Vets & Vet Techs were finally allowed into New Orleans. They are rounding up animals and vaccinating them and giving medical aid as needed and, I would assume, taking them to some sort of shelter. My heart absolutely broke when I found out that absolutely NO family pets were allowed to accompany their people :-(. I understand the physical health reasons for this. I just wonder at the terrible mental and emotional impact this will have on those who had to leave "family members" behind :-(. CiaoMeow >^;;^<

Pat P wrote:>

Sorry to post again but I just got my ASPCA newsletter with LOADS of info about search & rescue work going on in the affected areas. Here's a link to the ASPCA article about the animals that have been rescued and are being housed in Austin, TX ....

It's pretty long so it might wrap & you'll need to copy & paste. Some "babies" have already been reunited with their families -- HALLELUJAH :-))) CiaoMeow >^;;^<