Friends in New Orleans

September 5, 2005 7PM EST
TO; My friends, colleagues and the good people of WNY
FROM: Sue Keller-Mathers kellersm@buffalostate.edu
RE: Help for My New Orleans Friends

My dear friends Deborah and Annette in my former home of New Orleans are still in shock and I feel a great need to do what I can. The tragedy of Katrina has affected us all greatly and there are many ways so many people have reached out to help through the Red Cross and other mechanisms for giving and volunteering on a larger scale- those are the most important ways to help. All of the people of the region will need our continued support. In addition, I'm emailing you with one small way you can help three people through me if you wish to. I am going to sell items on EBay to buy supplies for and raise just a little bit of money for immediate needs of three WNY natives who lived in New Orleans. A very close friend, Deborah Misso and her son Gian, who I consider part of my family and Annette German, a former student of mine and friend (recently finished her Master's in Creativity work at BSC) are both teachers in the New Orleans Schools (and didn't get their first check of the school year when Katrina hit). They are all safe but most likely have lost everything. Deborah and her 15 year old
son are staying with friends of mine in Baton Rouge and Annette is staying with a Creative Studies graduate Valerie LaMatina here in WNY. Both Deb and her son Gian and Annette left New Orleans with not much more than the clothes on their back. Although friends and families are assisting them greatly, I'd like to reach out to all of you to take a little of the immediate burden off them if you are willing and able. I've never asked people for anything like this before so I apologize ahead of time if you take offense to requests like that but this is what I felt I needed to do. Read on if you're interested.
Thanks.
Sue Keller-Mathers
885.7445 874 Lafayette Avenue Buffalo NY 14209 kellersm@buffalostate.edu

WHAT I'M DOING AND HOW YOU CAN HELP:

EBay- My friend Brian Brennan, an EBay veteran has agreed to help me sell items on EBay. I'm looking for things that can eventually be mailed to the buyer (so they can't be really big). Good items for EBay include things like recently published books, especially textbooks, collectables/figurines/limited edition stuff, old electronics and computers, old records and record players, anything pre1985 culture related, vintage stuff, etc) If you have items, they can be dropped off at my house (or I'll pick them up if you need me to). If you're not sure if it's a good item for EBay, but want to donate, go ahead and give it to me. I can always do a garage sale later or try to figure out what to do with it to continue to do some good in this time of need.

Clothing: I've sent a large container of clothes to my friend Deborah but I didn't have any to send to her son. Her son Gian, in Baton Rouge is in need of clothing. He's a tall (5'7” or 5'8”) skinny 15 year old who takes men's small shirts to give you an idea and somewhere between a 28 and 32 waist. Any clothing (or national store gift certificates) would be greatly appreciated. Annette is on her way to New Orleans as this is written to see what is left so I'm hoping her second floor apartment outside the city will at least be dry enough to retrieve her personal items. I can update anyone who wants to keep in touch to future needs if you want me to- just let me know. Drop off any clothing at my house (874 Lafayette) and I'll mail them out to Gian (and his friend from New Orleans staying down the block).


A bit more about our WNY friends in New Orleans:

I hope Annette will find her apartment intack when she gets to Louisiana but I will keep in touch with her and find out. Annette began the long drive down to Metairie in Jefferson Parish (right outside of the city of New Orleans) tonight with a friend to see what she has left. She'll go in, take what she can and get out. Then she'll drive back here to WNY, a 22+ hour trip each way.

I was just in New Orleans three weeks ago staying at Deborah's house in the Mid City part of New Orleans near City Park. I've seen the photos of her area on TV and it's unlikely she will have anything left when she gets to go back in a month or two to see her house. Chances are they all will be staying with friends and family for quite a while and begin the long process of rebuilding their lives. Deborah and Gian may come up here eventually but for now, they are safe in the good hands of my friends Jerome and Lynn Lohmann and their three children and I try to talk to her nightly. Just to give you an idea of what's
happening in the area not more than 60 miles from New Orleans, I'm told Baton Rouge is in crisis as well, with the constant sound of helicopters over head and a small city that has many people in need come to this good city for help. There are many, many houses in the Lohmann's middle class neighborhood filled with family and friends from New Orleans. The first night Gian was there he went out in the neighborhood and found a friend from his school in New Orleans who was also staying in the neighborhood. That friend spends 90% of his time at the Lohmann's house (as the house he is staying at has 30 people from New Orleans also staying in the same house). These stories of the good people who take in others are many and are a glimmer of hope in a horrible situation.

For those of you who know that I taught in New Orleans both in the 9th ward and in the French quarter (and my husband Gordon lived there for more than two decades), you know we have many close friends in New Orleans and many memories
of the fine people of New Orleans. We've heard from some of them and will continue to track what has happened to the people of New Orleans. My husband and friends throughout the country want to go down as soon as possible to do what
ever they can when the rebuilding process starts. His close friend, a retired US Marshall in New Orleans has been in touch and will get back to Gordon with ways to help as soon as the initial crisis has passed.

If you wish, I can keep you updated on what is happening- and ways to help the region- our hearts sink when we think of the people and place we love and all the very poor people, many of whom had no way out. Just send me an email if you want to continue to know whatever I find out about ways to help and let me know if you are going to bring something to my house.
Sue

MY CONTACT INFO:
874 Lafayette Avenue Buffalo (between Delaware Avenue/Gates Circle and Linwood Ave) I'm across from the side of Millard Fillmore Gate Circle Hospital. It's the brown house with the purple sheer material on the porch. Items can even be
left under the table on the porch if you're comfortable with that as we're inand out all day or we can set up a time and make sure we're home.
My phone is: 716.885.7445 email: kellersm@buffalostate.edu