> As a New Orleanian, I wanted to say a heart-felt "thank you"
> to the people of Houston for taking in so many displaced
> people from New Orleans. Your generosity and kindnesses are
> of Biblical proportion and many prayers of thanks have been
> said for you and your city.
>
> God bless...
>
You're welcome. Let us know what else you need.
It's not this crisis alone, though, Val. You folks are not the first to see this town in action! I've seen Houston donate countless hours of manpower and airtime, tons of food and clothing donations, record-breaking cash sums, and many, many gallons of blood to assist others in times of disaster or need in the past---just as we'll do next time, knowing fully well that we live on a bayou not far inland, and next time could be us. Once again, Houston, I'm bowled over with pride for you. It's one of the reasons I get so mad when I see the listeners being treated with less dignity or respect than they truly deserve.
Okay, quick, before staff understandably edits this part of the post for being non-radio related, wildly off-topic, and a shameless plug for a drive that really belongs in some other thread on some other board:
My 12.9 year-old daughter, who's a budding musician, has begun a school supply drive for evacuee children who will be relocated to area schools. Although I personally believe this could probably be better handled through individual PTAs, and encourage all PTAs and PFAs to get involved at the neighborhood school level, I'm never gonna tell my kiddo "no" to an idea like that. I agreed to pass the idea along to Radio People and let you folks know that she'll be setting up a donation box at Last Concert Cafe' in the downtown area, where she takes her music lessons every week. If you can't find the place, keep driving, it's okay, they make the place intentionally low-key and hard to find. Don't wander around downtown, go ahead a drop your supplies off at any one of the thousands of businesses supporting the relief effort. However, if you do know how to find the Cafe', stop in and drop a packet of notebook paper, crayons, pens and pencils, composition books, index cards, highlighter pens, etc. in the box! Thanks.
*we now return you to your regularly-scheduled radio board*
Wait, actually, I've found a way to bring it back around and keep it on topic. The more I think about this idea, the more I love it and would love to see any and all radio stations pick it up and run with it. Get drop boxes going around all over the place. I love the idea of kids raising school supplies for other kids and can't think of a nicer way to help our kids feel more connection and compassion for the victims who will turn up in their classrooms, as well as helping the new children feel welcomed and supported. My kid was the only person who made friends with the two new 6th graders who came to her school in the Galleria area on Friday, and it made her mad that some of the other kids looked down on their clothes and said they smelled bad. Hate to say it, but that's how kids are at that age, we know that. Involving them in a drive is a good idea.
It's win-win, actually, if we're ever going to change other cities' mistaken perception of us as knuckle-draggers and stuff. Please consider taking up the challenge for a student supply drive and sell it to your radio station's clients---office supply stores, warehouse clubs, stores that carry school uniforms, anything like that. Many of the evacuated will be remaining here in Houston and doing their best to start over. I'd love to see us give every one of those kids the best start they can get.
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Edited by radiomojo1 on 09/04/05 05:30 PM.</FONT></P>
