[Circle_of_Light] Greetings from Camp Second Helpin'

A Rainbow Family Calendar & Mailer Circle_of_light at welcomehere.org
Mon Feb 6 20:52:29 CST 2006


Hello everyone.

Greetings from Camp Second Helpin' in Hancock county, Mississippi, 
just outside of Waveland Mississippi.

For those that don't know, after the New Waveland Café' closed down 
and many of the crew moved on to St. Bernard's Parish, some of the 
family was asked to return to Hancock county to help for a longer 
timeframe, 6 months to a year at least. So a small crew came back to 
begin a community center, which is what they needed the most.

The word from locals is that people felt lost when the hippies left, 
and that it wasn't the food that was the issue, but what we offered 
them in spirit, faith and hope. We were brought back by a 
clearinghouse organization called Mississippi's Forgotten, whom signed 
a 6-month lease (with option to renew) with a local store owner for a 
2-acre lot. We are still in the process of building, with help from 
Mississippi's Forgotten, Emergency Communities, and Action Hero 
Network, but mostly from the locals that survived Hurricane Katrina.

There are still many things we need before we are a community center, 
we have yet to get our hands on a good dining tent, table and chairs, 
and those are just a few. What we need most is more hands and 
donations; we have just filed for non-profit status as of today and 
are getting our own address. The people liked `the hippies' so much 
they asked for a Second Helpin', so here we are. We will have a 
communications center, family recreational area, a medical clinic, two 
meals a day, dinner & supper, evening entertainment from live music to 
movies on a big screen, to Sunday picnics to talent shows, and social 
dances.

These are just a few of the things we a working towards, but we need 
good strong hands and hearts, these peoples fight has just begun, and 
now that time
has past the reality is sinking in, and we need to show them how to 
carry on, give them a place to get away from "the destruction of our 
lives" as quoted from a local gentleman, so that they can face life in 
those FEMA trailers, which are so much better then tent life, but 
still not much better then anything but sleeping in.

At this point we feed between 70 and 100 people a day, and that's just 
word of mouth, because with no place to sit people we are still 
serving in to go mode.

We are also hoping to have enough volunteers that work crews can be 
sent out to help with the rebuilding. At this time though we are a 
skeleton crew of 10, with our two youths from Colorado leaving in six 
days. This is just the beginning and the road is long, so I ask that 
anyone who can find a way to spare a few days, or weeks, or months, 
hey, even a few hours would be wonderful. The things we need the most 
are more volunteers, but various donations are need too.

Like I mentioned earlier we are still searching for large tents for 
serving and dining, also tables and chairs. We have also are still 
trying to find consistent food suppliers, at this time phones have 
been an issue, when I tried to get one they were asking for a $500 
down payment, and since I don't get a pay check, I didn't have it, but 
we are still trying. We do finally have our first of many computers on 
line, with the rest to follow by weeks end, And the big projector is 
suppose to come tomorrow. Again I ask, please come and lend a hand, at 
this time we are working 15 hour days or longer and are spread pretty 
thin. We are tired but strong in spirit, knowing that the locals want 
us back so much that they are building it one ladle at a time, it is 
truly inspiring.

We could never be the New Waveland Café', but we don't want to be. It 
would be like a remake of the Wizard of OZ, it just couldn't be done, 
Magic like that can only happen once, but it can inspire many new 
sparks of magic, like the Made With Love Kitchen in St. Bernard's 
Parish, and us here at Camp Second Helpin', and Common Grounds, and 
Welcome Home in New Orleans.

So let's keep the magic alive, these people need it so much, but so do 
we. If at all possible we need spices and herbal remedies, canned 
goods, canned meats, fresh produce, cooking oils, flour, soy and rice 
milks, MULLIEN, water, ice, tables, chairs, tents of all sizes, 
blankets, coats, rain gear, tarps, rope, axes, maul, splitter, 
bookshelves, plastic tubs, tools, books, A RAINBOW FLAG, costumes, 
fire wood from above the flood line, plywood, a tub, coffee, teas, 
just to name a few items.

Our mailing address is

6161 W. Desodo,
Bay St. Louis,
Mississippi, 39520

We would also like to thank the Davis Family Store for making all of 
this possible, They have been the hero's of many people, without them 
many would not have survived after the storm.

For directions e-mail me or Ron at:

mommakaboom at hotmail.com

firelight10101 at yahoo.com


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