Thinking globally, giving locally:How to help storm victims directly

UPDATE: From John Stocks late Sunday night:

JACKSON, MS.

Comfort Inn management says there are no other rooms available because Entergy, the utility company has secured them for their repair crews.

Attempted to make arrangements with Target for the Ewell families to purchase personal items and clothes.

Jerald Skinner's son was moved to another hospital in Houston and awaits a blood transfusion. We await word.

Percy Ewell (Lois and Eloise's older brother), Randall Ewell (Percy's son), Sterling and Laura Brooks (Henrietta's son and daughter in law), Wanda Brooks (Henrietta's daughter) are all still missing.

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Stocks also has a brother, Adam, in Slidell, La. Adam, his wife and three children lost everything in the storm. John is putting together a generator and materials to take to him, as he reports:

SLIDELL, LA

Spoke with my brother. He needs insulation, sheetrock, a generator and the pop up to sleep in. Hope to get there by Friday.

Identified two vehicles, a pop up camper and a trailer.

Need to find a second driver to leave Wednesday morning.. Pick up a generator tomorrow (Monday) in Madison and the trailer in Green Bay. Tuesday will be very busy: purchase sheetrock, load tools, generator, wire $$$ to Ewells.

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Part of the frustration in watching the aftermath of Katrina's devastation is the feeling of helplessness, combined with sadness and anger at what has transpired in New Orleans and on the Gulf Coast.

Yes, you can give money, but it seems so distant and impersonal to write a check or make an online contribution to the Red Cross or one of the other national groups working to help victims. It's not that we don't appreciate them and the work they do, but -- and this may sound selfish -- it is more personally satisfying to do something that we know helps people directly.

We have found a few ways to do that, through friends with closer connections to New Orleans than we have.

Here are two cases that people have agreed I can share with you, in case you would like to help victims with a local connection. Donations you make are not tax deductible, and your employer probably won't match them. But if that's not important, here are a couple of options, one via John Stocks and the other via Martha Love. If I hear of more I will share them, too.

One report is from John Stocks, former director of public affairs for WEAC, who is now deputy executive director of the National Education Assn. Stocks and his family live in Wisconsin, but his roots are on the Gulf Coast. He has been able to determine that his immediate family in New Orleans, survived the storm.

His concern now is for another family of nine now stranded in a single motel room in Jackson, Miss., with no idea what will happen next. It's a family Stocks has known his entire life. There are two sisters, Lois and Eloise, their children, and grandchildren. Stocks is doing what he can to help long-distance and is accepting contributions on their behalf. His report from Saturday night after talking to the family in Jackson:

Some small progress was made today. Gasoline was secured for the two cars after waiting in long lines. Power was restored to the motel and hot showers were taken. Some clothes were purchased at a local thrift store. The Salvation Army is working to arrange for FEMA to cover the costs of the motel. Tomorrow we will try to secure a second motel room, medicated lotion for the toddler and some decisions about next moves.

The Lois Ewell Phipps family.

Lois is with her daughter Courtney (24) and her grandson Vichaun (4)

Lois works for the Orleans Parish School District. She taught high school English for 24 years. She was a guidance counselor for 5 years and for the past five years has been the 504 (ADA) coordinator for the school district. Lois is one year and five months from retirement.

Lois does not know if she still has a job. She is prepared to relocate with her daughter and grandson if she can find a job in the field of education.

Courtney is 24. She is a single mom, currently unemployed and has been living with her mother. Vichaun is 4 years old (five in November)

Vichaun wears size 6-7 clothes and 10 1/2 shoes.

Vichaun has an Eczema type skin ailment and needs medicated lotion to treat it. His ailment has been irritated due to lack of air conditioning. They are going to try and find a pharmacy and get the lotion.

The Eloise Ewell Casimir family.

Eloise is a retired state employee. She is accompanied by her daughter Stacy. Eloise will relocate but does not want to be separated from her grandchildren.

Stacy does not know if she still has a job.. Stacy is 30 and has worked in client services for Pan American Insurance in New Orleans for eight years. Stacy has three children. Kasey (5), Brea (6), Eboni (9).

Kasey's shoe size 13 1/2. Clothes 14 kids

Brea's shoe size 1 1/2. Clothes 16 kids

Eboni's shoe size 4. Clothes 5-6 misses

Stacy's companion Jerald Skinner does not know if he still has a job.. He is 36 and also works for Pan American Insurance in billing/collections. He earned a BA from UNO in accounting in 2001. He interned with the IRS working on individual audits.

Today Jerald went to the Jackson airport to find a rental car to drive to Houston (a five hour drive). He found out his two year old, Cameron Skinner is in a Houston hospital for a blood transfusion. Cameron was born without the ability to oxygenate his blood. He has lived with daily breathing treatments but when Cameron and his mother were evacuated to Houston, they could not give him the breathing treatments. We wait tonight to hear from Jerald.

I'm not certain at this point if/when/where to send clothing. I will update this when I know. But if you'd like to give money, send a check, payable to John Stocks, 5608 Chestnut Lane, McFarland, WI 53558. He promises a full accounting to all donors of how the money was spent. This family, like thousands of others, needs both short-term and long-term help as they try to put their lives back together.

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From Martha Love, longtime public employee union and Democratic Party activist, who is now Milwaukee County party chair, comes news of another group of 23 people who have relocated from the Gulf to stay with relatives in Milwaukee. How long they will be here is unknown, but, like most people, they left their homes expecting to be gone only a short time and took very little with them.

I do not have information on ages or clothing sizes, but in this case can provide contact information where you can get in touch if you want to help with money, food, or other needs.

Donations can be made to: Nathan and Lettye Albert,2029 North 5th St.,Milwaukee, WI 53212. Phone: 414/ 263-3643. Percy Dorsey has offered to pick up and deliver items in Milwaukee, and his phone number is 414/221-9737.

People already have started to respond and show their generosity in both of these cases, but the need is great and will be ongoing for some time.

More information as it becomes available.