Crochet Me Crazy

Where do I begin....
We had an extremely busy day yesterday. We drove down to the Astrodome area to meet with a family we had met on Friday. We picked up Toby & Tammy Garner along with Tonda Ricard and set off in search of a WalMart to get them some needed personal items. It took us a while to find the nearest WalMart but they were just happy to be riding around in the car with air conditioning! Toby is a elementary PE/Healt teacher and he ran into so many friends and people he knew in Wal-Mart! These people are an extremely tight knit community. We bought them undergarments, shoes for children in their family at the dome, more comfortable shoes for the women than the ones they got out with, Pillows, Shampoo and Condition, and hair brushes. This family did not easily take the help we offered to them and were concerned about taking from our own family's reserves. We took them to an area parking lot where volunteer citizens have been dropping off donations and all kinds of things are available to them. They were able to get a few other items there such as bottle nipples for the babies in their family waiting at the Astrodome, disinfectant wipes and rubber gloves they wanted to clean the toilets in the Astrodome to make their lives just a little more pleasant amidst the thousands. They told us that after they had met us the night before, a man drove up to them while they were walking back to the Astrodome and told them he had reserved a group of rooms at a nearby hotel and had another one left to offer and gave them the room number. They quickly got their few belongings in a shopping cart and walked to the hotel for a night of luxury. They said it felt so good to sleep on a real mattress and take hot showers in privacy for just that one night. Even one night like that is a tremendous blessing for these people. Toby and Tonda were a middle class family and had just bought a brand new car before the disaster hit. She was a medical assistant-HIV/coordinator, counselor at the prison. They talked about just putting new marble counter tops in their kitchen. They hadn't had breakfast or lunch because they had been away from the Astrodome so we had lunch at KFC and send the leftover buckets of chicken with them to take to the rest of their family waiting at the Dome. After we dropped them off we went to a Jack-in-the-box to buy some burgers to pass out and use the restroom. We saw an older women and man in there with the Astrodome wristbands on. While waiting in the restroom line, I asked the woman if I could do anything for her. She said no, that she was about to go and buy her grandkids some clothes because they were out of the right sizes for the kids in the clothes they were passing out at the Astrodome but that she had some money. She had gotten out with some cash that they were about to use on a down payment on something. We sat down at a table with them and listened about their ordeal. Their names are Amanda and Jerry Warren and they got out with their oldest son, his girlfriend and their 3 kids but she doesn't know where the rest of her family is. With tears in her eyes, she told us that the only thing she needed was to find out whether her children and her 13 grandchildren were safe. We offered to drive them to Wal-Mart because she was looking for a little battery operated TV to have in the Astrodome with her. We were unsuccessful in finding that at the Wal-Mart near there. Those Wal-Marts are getting sold out because of the demand. Their underwear and pillow selections were low. We bought them pillows and pillowcases. They tried to buy the things themselves but we told them to save their money. The people we have met so far ARE NOT looking for a hand out. They are extremely grateful for all the help being offered to them. We drove them over to the Star of Hope facility where they are provided clothing. They were able to get the clothes for the grandkids there and some underpants, and a few items of clothing for themselves. Amanda got a bible that had large print becuase she said the print was too small for her to read on the ones being passed out at the Astrodome. Amazingly, we were able to drop them off right at the door of the dome. After we dropped them off back at the dome, we were flagged down by a a woman and her son asking if we would give them a ride to Target. More nice people that we made this short trip for and then we headed home. We didn't get home until 10:15 last night and it was an exhausting day...especially emotionally draining.
Something that is not being provided by the Astrodome is pillow. Strollers are a much needed item down there. These people are having to walk everywhere they go and many, many people have small children. We were able to get a donated stroller from one of the drop of points for a friend of the Garner family who has 2 (maybe 3, I can't remember) small children and a baby. She hasn't been able to get out of the Dome as much because of the small children. The donated strollers go very fast so we are VERY happy that we were at the right place at the right time to get this one for her. It's a double stroller too! We still haven't been able to get a hold of them to let them know that we found it and get it to them.
I've alread heard from Amanda Warren this morning. She was able to get a call out from one of the phones SWB has installed in the dome. I am trying to help her locate her family among the various list on the internet. We are also going to get the battery operated TV and a pre-paid phone for them at our Wal-Mart which won't be so picked over. She told us that she had good news for us...she wanted me to know that she didn't cry last night and that she slept well. She said that she woke up this morning with lifted spirits and it was because of our kindness to them.
I don't have time right now to give my commentary about the wonderful people that we have met and the emotions of this day. I will write more about it later but I do know that I will be forever changed because of this experience and I KNOW that we have made some life long friends of the strangers we met yesterday.