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looking for good news, Part II [updated!]

Please see this post from last night for details.
To repeat from yesterday:

I'm going to collect stories out of NO/Mississippi. Good stories. Stories of people helping each other, people reuniting with loved ones, companies opening their wallets wide, things like that. And pictures, too. Pictures of animals being rescued or families hugging. Feel good stuff. That's what I'm going to do.

Please leave any relevant links in the comments.

It's getting really hard to find the good stories, as all the media seem to be focusing on the deaths and looting. But I'm determined to find anything good in the tons of stories I'm wading through.

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Jahne Haze, 4, looks at baby food in a shopping cart that was given to her mother outside a Super Wal-Mart in New Orleans, Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2005. Emergency personnel went into the store to get supplies and distributed it to people waiting outside.

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Jonathan Harvey rescues his dog Cuddles in Gulfport, Mississippi, on Monday. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Links/stories below the fold

  • In Pittsburgh, philanthropic and faith groups called for volunteers, utility companies sent workers to the South and individuals headed off into the deepest destruction to offer medical services.

* Scott Stewart, a freshman from Biloxi, decided to organize a trip to the Coast for people interested in helping the clean-up effort and rebuilding processes. The response has been astonishing, he said.

Update: Welcome, readers from The Corner. Help me find some good stuff, please, because the pickings are getting really slim. Just leave relevant links in the comments.

  • Good can come from the worst of circumstances. KPLC's Theresa Schmidt met a woman today whose experience as an evacuee has renewed her faith in people.

[Part I of Good News here]

On the upside, I got a comment on this post about a mother looking for information about her son in Metarie. the commentor left his cell number so I sent a text message to him. I then called his mother to say I was trying and she told me that she had just receiceved a call from him, he was fine and on his way out of the city. You just have to love them internets.
  • From the comments:

    My mother, who took out our family of refugees to IHOP yesterday in Sugar Land, TX (Houston suburbs) was greeted by a pleasant surprise. She was with my two aunts and their grandchildren (about 4 of them ranging in ages from 7 - 10), and everyone commented on how well behaved they were. One woman wondered why the children were not in school, and she told them that they were from Slidell, LA escaping the hurricane. She then managed to take the check right from my mom's hands before she could protest and treated my whole family to their meal. It is stories like that that give me hope amongst all the despair. Just thought I would leave this...

Part III here

Posted by me on August 31, 2005 06:57 AM |

Comments

Please be sure to also include all of the good news stories about all of the other countries rushing their aid and disaster crews to help out those affected by this disaster.

Oh, wait....

Posted by: art | August 31, 2005 08:46 AM

This doesn't exactly fall under the "good news" category, but may provide help in locating loved ones:

http://www.nowpublic.com/node/17228

Posted by: uppitymonkey | August 31, 2005 08:48 AM

Michele - i'm looking for a group that takes clothes and such down south...I have a ton of stuff I could send, some maternity stuff, as I would guess even if we send money, they can just pop into a store and buy stuff? I know they need food and water, but I would guess clean clothes would also be of help? Let me know if you know of one or if I'm crazy and should just make a donation????

Posted by: VHMPrincess | August 31, 2005 10:13 AM

Michele,

I clicked on the Pet Rescue link and was directed to the Publix site.

Is there a URL for pet rescue donations? My sister's pups, if they survived, are down there somewhere.

Posted by: mike | August 31, 2005 11:07 AM

Thanks for good news. Here in Lake Charles, LA, we are focusing on how to help the thousands of evacuees here in our city.

http://www.kplctv.com/Global/story.asp?S=3786629

http://www.kplctv.com/Global/story.asp?S=3778808&nav=0n4JdsDx

Posted by: Frank | August 31, 2005 11:07 AM

I can't find a link but the local news here in Houston has been talking about bus loads of volunteers from Lowe's and Home Depot going to the affected areas so the local workers can deal with their personal problems.

Posted by: JimK (No Relation) | August 31, 2005 11:20 AM

VHMPrincess - i'm down here just on the outside of it (a little south of baton rouge). they're begging and pleading on radio and tv here that you please direct anything you wish to donate to the Red Cross. they've got the expertise and the infrastructure to get it where it needs to go faster than anyone else.

Posted by: dave frey | August 31, 2005 11:22 AM

Returning the favor to hard hit areas of Hurricane Katrina.

http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050831/NEWS01/508310311/1006

Posted by: Angel | August 31, 2005 11:58 AM

Sorry about that long web address. Probably a stupid question, but does HTML work here?

Posted by: Angel | August 31, 2005 12:02 PM

S'ok, good link. You can use standard html in the comments.

Posted by: michele | August 31, 2005 12:42 PM

Red Cross now has banners you can display on your site that will link right to their page for folks to make donations.

Here is the link:

http://www.redcross.org/psa/bannerorder/all/

My family's thoughts are with all those who are affected by this.

Posted by: mrbandw | August 31, 2005 12:52 PM

Pet rescue donations can be made through the Humane Society:
http://www.hsus.org/

Posted by: Susan | August 31, 2005 01:39 PM

Here's a story I just saw on our local NBC affiliate's site:
http://www.nbc6.net/family/4919346/detail.html

Posted by: Amanda | August 31, 2005 01:39 PM

The Dallas school district will enroll the children of any Hurricane Katrina refugees.
http://www.dallasisd.org/

Posted by: Ellen | August 31, 2005 01:51 PM

THANK YOU for this site. I have been obsessed with the horror that is going on because of Katrina, and I need some good news. My husband and I donated money, but I wish I could do more. Unfortunately, I'm a lawyer so my skills aren't very useful in this kind of situation. My heart just goes out to all the people who have lost so much and need so much.

I also have a bunch of clothes and household items that I could donate but don't know if anyone is taking that kind of stuff yet. I live in Atlanta so if anyone knows of a collection going on, please email me or post on this site. I'm willing to organize a collection if there's a group transporting things to the effected areas.

And here's a piece of good news: we all care enough to be on this site, trying to find ways to help, looking to be part of a solution. In some way all the hurting people have to know how much we are all pulling for them.

Posted by: Clare | August 31, 2005 02:44 PM

My mother, who took out our family of refugees to IHOP yesterday in Sugar Land, TX (Houston suburbs) was greeted by a pleasant surprise. She was with my two aunts and their grandchildren (about 4 of them ranging in ages from 7 - 10), and everyone commented on how well behaved they were. One woman wondered why the children were not in school, and she told them that they were from Slidell, LA escaping the hurricane. She then managed to take the check right from my mom's hands before she could protest and treated my whole family to their meal. It is stories like that that give me hope amongst all the despair. Just thought I would leave this...

Posted by: Alyce | August 31, 2005 07:18 PM

Please let me know if there any place in the NC area that is accepting clothing or food donations. Thank you.

Posted by: Lisa | September 1, 2005 11:05 AM

Thank you so much for posting this. I've been looking for a little good news. Here's one more story.

Posted by: Sheryl | September 4, 2005 08:10 PM