A great opportunity to volunteer those cooking skills!

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marmalady

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If you have some time, and have wanted to do something - anything - for the hurricane relief efforts -

The Salvation Army is estimating that they will need to provide continued 'canteen' services in the Gulf area, for victims of both Katrina and Rita, for the next 4 months.

If you have cooking/kitchen skills, they deploy folks in groups for 2 weeks or 1 week, depending on the commitment you can make. You may be riding in a smaller canteen panel truck that's fully equipped, or in a larger trailer type truck that sets up at a more or less permanent location (like a shelter, or church, or whatever). Lodging, at this point, is 'comfortable', usually at one of the shelters, tho they told us it may be an hour ride to get back and forth each day. There are always Salvation Army 'officers' with the volunteer groups, to handle any problems; and National Guardsmen also, as one of the SA's jobs is feeding the responders.

From what our local SA captain told us, as of last week there are still - unbelievably - small coastal towns that have not seen a Red Cross, FEMA or Salvation Army truck, and who are desparate for help.

They're not looking specifically for folks with pro kitchen experience; someone with good cooking skills and common sense in the kitchen - obviously, they're not cooking gourmet meals!

I'll be going soon - they're working out dates - I feel so good about doing this, as it's something I can actively participate in; I'm not much for writing a check and then forgetting about it.

If you feel it's something you'd like to be involved in, just contact your town's local Salvation Army, and tell them you want to volunteer for canteen duties.
 
Wow~! What a great idea!!

I'm really proud of you for going!!! Keep safe!
 
Bravo Marm,

what a generous, kind person you are...I'm glad you visit here and we've gotten to know you...Way to go.

kadesma
 
Do you know where you will be going? My dh is in Lake Charles, La. this week cooking for the evacuees. He said they cooked and served over 17,000 meals today and over 15,000 yesterday. He isn't having much trouble sleeping. They work from 4:00 am til 9 pm. They are sleeping in a grocery store. He said he is quite tired after all that. They are only there for a week at the time.
 
Well, last week they said it was the Lake Charles area, but that could change any time now. I still haven't gotten the call for deployment yet. Apparently the little towns right on the coast were so severely damaged that crews are only now getting to them.
 
Marmalady, many of the meals they are preparing are being delivered by the Salvation Army and Red Cross to the outlying areas enmass because they aren't able to get to the facilities and some are rather widespread. I'm just glad those people are getting proper nutrition now. Another group from our church have gone to do cleanup and that is another real job. My job here is to take care of the animals while the neighbors and dh are off doing what they can to help the situation.
 
My new company has a bunch of work going on down in the Gulf region, and they are still asking for volunteers to go at a moment's notice. Wish I could do it, but I doubt they need any editors just yet.

Bravo, marm.
 
Funny, I'm not doing it for pats on the back, or self-gratification - I just watched all that horrible TV coverage, and wondered how I could help those poor people; and remembered the kindnesses we received from strangers after Hugo. Feeding folks was the logical conclusion, as I receive so much when I can give food to others.
 
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