Putting my Money Where my Mouth Is

RE: dirty girl

I've said enough about it and watched enough of it on TV. Now it's time to do something about it. That's right.....in a few weeks, Sunshine and I will be leaving with a group from the Kansas West Conference of the United Methodist Church, heading down to the Gulf. We've talked about it since the second or third day, and after a dozen or so phone calls from members of the Disaster Relief Team I used to be a part of, we decided that we would go. She's still not working, and I don't have vacation time yet, so even as tight as the money situation is, we're going to do it. We feel like it's something we have to do...something that God has called us to do. I've never been one to sit idly by while others are suffering, that's why I became a paramedic several years ago. Anytime there is a major tornado in the area, I pack up what tools I have and head off to assist the victims in clean-up and rebuilding, something my father taught me as a small child when a tornado ravaged our home town in NE Kansas...sparing our house but destroying those of our neighbors.

Now comes the hard part, the part I don't want to do, hate to do, but feel compelled to do. I am asking for your compassion and assistance...both through prayer and money. Our group is not funded through any local, state, or federal funds. We are volunteers in the truest sense of the word. Using our own money, time, and energy to help those who need it. I feel bad asking my Jeepz friends for money, but for this to come together, we need it for gas and food to get there and back. We will be living out of the car, in a tent most likely by the side of the road somewhere. Our initial plan is to stay a week, longer if necessary and if the funds hold out. I have a good idea my boss will be ok with me taking a week off for this type of thing, he's very charity-minded (the company is matching payroll deductions for Disaster Relief donations dollar for dollar). I've already signed up for $100 a month from my next two months paychecks. Maybe the boss can even help out a little with the necessary expenses.

So, in all humility, I ask any of you who want, to donate what you can. I can't give you a receipt that will hold up against a tax audit, so bear that in mind if you decide to help out. Please do not do this because I ask...do it because you want to. Please do not create a financial burden on yourselves or your family, either. I understand times are tough for all of us. If you can't give, please don't sweat it, I understand. It's just something that Sunshine and I feel we have to do, something the Lord has called us to do.

I would not ask this of you if I didn't know how many of you have such compassion in your hearts. I've seen it in action, I've been blessed by it through your kind words in my times of trouble.

PM me if you would like to help, I can give you my PayPal account to send it to.

Thank you and God Bless you in advance.
 

Sparky...know how you feel....we are at the same crossroad as many citizens of this country are...how to give.......how to help.....the Mrs. and I, over an established period of time, are donating 25% of our retail sales to hurricane Katrina victims thru a cash donation. Excuse us for bowing out of your direct request, but we are indirectly making a difference to those displaced folks on the East side of our great US. We urge all "Z"ers to dig into their pockets for even a few bucks and send it over to aid our own (least this $ isn't going over-seas!) What IS WEIRD is that on 9/11 some of us are giving help instead of asking for it. We woke up a few years ago (we sleep with the TV on all night, every night) seeing planes flying thru the twin towers.........like I say.......Weird

LBR
 
RE: grand/cherokee cat differneces??

Sparky, I'd have a check out to you but you are a couple days late. My work was matching any donations so I put in my help there for now. Good luck down there, and thanks for doing what you are doing.
 

jay79cj7 said:
Sparky, I'd have a check out to you but you are a couple days late. My work was matching any donations so I put in my help there for now. Good luck down there, and thanks for doing what you are doing.

Yeah my company is match any employee donations too. Double the power.
 
Re: RE: Temperature question

Well, we finally got the call today we've been waiting for. We're scheduled to head to the Gulf the week of the 24th. Timing couldn't have been worse because the 22nd and 23rd is our semi-annual family campout on the farm in eastern Kansas. Thinking we'll probably pack light for the camping trip and just leave from there on the 23rd. We'll find out for sure where we're going on Monday. Thanks to those of you who donated gas money, it'll sure help out!
 
RE: Upgrading my headlights, need help.

Found out today that we'll be in Moss Point, MS next week. It's about 3.5 miles from the ocean, and about 2 miles NE of Pascagoula. It's in one of the hardest hit areas in Mississippi. Sunshine will be leaving Saturday morning with the group from Wichita. I'm going down to the campout at the farm on Friday morning, and leaving for the Gulf early Sunday. It's a 16 hour drive from the farm, give or take an hour or two, so I figure by the time I get up, pack up the tent and gear, say my goodbye's to my brothers and sis and their families, my uncles and their families, a couple of other spare cousins, mom and my son, it'll be close to 8 am before I get gone. That'll put me in Moss Point around midnight......sheesh......don't know if that's a good plan or not. I'll have to play it by ear. Lord knows I don't need to be driving half asleep in a strange place with all forms of landmarks blown away.

We'll leave to come back home either Friday or Saturday, not sure yet. It's 812 miles from the farm to Moss Point, and 916 miles from Moss Point to home, or roughly 18 hours.

I plan on taking a little notebook with me to keep a journal, and if it proves to be worthwhile, I'll post the experiences here for anyone who cares to see where their money went (actually, I've raised almost enough to buy half a lift!!).
 

Oh, and there's a very slight chance that tropical storm Wilma may reach hurricane strength and head towards the Gulf while we're down there......WOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Well, I've been hoping to post an update on our trip to the Gulf, however, upon returning home, my camera has gone tits up. After a long, arduous conversation with someone from Pakistan or other camel-bearing country, I have gotten HP to send me a new M407 digital camera to replace the replacement HP620. Hopefully I can get the pics off the SD card onto a disc at WalMart this weekend and get some of them posted here with the details of the trip. If I lose the 400+ pics I took in Mississippi and Louisiana, I'm gonna be pissed!!!:mad:
 

Hey, welcome back Sparky! Man that sucks about the camera. It's always something with technology. They promise how great it is and then ...Boom... something goes wrong. Hope you get it worked out, I'd love to see some pics.
 
Thanks, South. I went to WallyWorld tonight after work and was able to download all of the pics onto a CD. I'll pick it up tomorrow, and should have a few of them sorted and ready to post by the weekend.
 
Welcome Home!! Can't wait to hear about your experiences. I would have wished you off but I wasn't on the site for a couple of weeks myself. Glad your home though.

Lady
 

glad to hear you made it home safe sparky, cant wait to hear about it all. oh, and thanks for helping the nation in time of need, i salute you, as do these upstanding citizens
image-missing.png

image-missing.png

sorry guys, i have nothing better to do. anyway sparky, thanks!
 
Last edited:
mingez said:
Welcome back chum! How'd it go?

Thanks! It was a real experience, that's for sure! Pascagoula had a 26 foot storm surge. Pascagoula and Moss Point are like one big town, only the border between the two is a main east-west road. Moss Point, technically, is 3.7 miles from the Gulf. I've never seen so much destruction!! It went on for hundreds of miles!

All of the people we came across were very, very greatful that we were there. Fema and the insurance agencies are so overwhelmed that they just aren't even seen anywhere. Most of the folks told us that if it weren't for the church groups like ours, they wouldn't have any help at all. We were supplying 99% of the relief work for the area. The same church we went with also had been serving nearly 10,000 people a week for breakfast, lunch, and dinner at a church in Pascagoula out of makeshift soup kitchens.

It sickens me that there are still people living in tents (and some without) all over the place that have nowhere to go, no relatives, no opens shelters, no FEMA supplied trailers....and that stupid Governor Blanklook is putting a priority on repairing the Superdome! She needs to be drawn and quartered!!
 
Back
Top