Through information passed along to our members and on the Association web site, we raised $169,343.71 for aid to our member ministries directly impacted by the hurricanes of last fall. To date, $144,567.89 has been disbursed to member ministries, including the severely damaged facilities  at HOME OF GRACE in Vancleave, MS, the NEW ORLEANS (LA) RESCUE MISSION and PORT CITIES RESCUE MISSION in Port Arthur, TX.

We’ve also sent gifts to missions “going the extra mile” in serving people displaced by the storms, including WATERFRONT RESCUE MISSION in Mobile, AL, GATEWAY RESCUE MISSION in Jackson, MS and STAR OF HOPE MISSION in Houston, TX.

The remaining funds are ready to go to missions with additional expenses or to help evacuees relocate who have been living in hotels or  apartments on FEMA funds.

RESCUE MISSION in Jackson, MS and STAR OF HOPE MISSION in Houston, TX.

• Give to AGRM's Hurricane Relief Fund
• Specific needs at rescue missions in the areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
• Give to a mission in a particular community
• Suggestions for Offering Hospitality to Those Displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

NEW ORLEANS - From Ron Gonzalez, Executive Director  (10/01/05)

The New Orleans Mission, like most of the city, suffered grievous damage.  Monumental efforts are being made to restore the Mission and return it to serving the needs of the homeless, including the "displaced returning folks" in the City.  Much progress has and is being made.   Here’s a summary: 

• HomeAid (non-profit organization from Newport Beach, CA) has agreed to remodel the women’s center and build a new women and children ’s center.  They began the remodeling and will begin the build as soon as the permits clear.  All work is being done for free (estimated cost of remodeling is $375,000 and build is over $450,000).  The President of HomeAid is Mike Lennon and the project person in charge of Gulf Coast relief is Diane Dempcy.  They request a local contribution and  want to be sure that the Mission has money for operational expenses. 
   

• The Board hired a retired engineer, Lou Banfalvi, to be project manager.  He has a PHD in engineering from Budapest  and has been working in rescue missions for many years.  The Board hired him under contract for a minimal amount and he has agreed to stay at least until the end of the year.  He has already been a tremendous help in coordinating the work.  He was able to get the Corp of Engineers to remove the debris from the property caused by the destruction of the women and children’s center.   Five bobcats, a large bulldozer, a backhoe and three trucks appeared on the property removing debris and preparing the property for future work.
   

• The city Permit Director had insisted on requiring a Right of Entry form (required for the Corp of Engineers to come onto our property) before debris removal could commence, but would not issue one until "a master plan" was developed by the City.  This obstacle was overcome by hiring locals to push the debris to the street so that FEMA would pick it up. All debris has as of today been removed from mission property, clearing the way for the future building effort.
   

• Twenty volunteers from Wayside Christian Mission in Louisville, KY came to help and left on Friday after having put a blue roof on the entire building, and cleaning up various areas.  They (1) removed all the garbage from the back of the property, (2) cleaned out the administrative offices that were full of cat manure and infested with fleas… a disgusting mess, (3) cleaned the entire downstairs of the Mission including the kitchen, learning center, chapel, bathrooms and utility areas, (4) removed all the refrigerators and freezers from the kitchen (BIG SMELLY JOB), (5) cleaned out the two walk-in cleaners (BIGGER SMELLIER JOB), (6) emptied the entire upstairs (there was a pile of trash on the side of the building that was over 30 feet high), (7) carried the triple level bunk beds from upstairs to the chapel area (the Mission can now sleep about 75 people in the chapel), took all the computers out of the learning center and removed all the damaged materials (computers are probably ruined… everything got wet and already starting to rust), and (8) tore down the walls in the room next to the kitchen so that a new women’s bathroom can be built, and (9) thoroughly cleaned the women’s center.  The amount of work they accomplished was miraculous.  They also donated a tracker-trailer full of supplies.
   

• A retired plumber from Kansas City is building the new women’s bathroom in the main facility.  When he’s finished there will be four toilets, four showers, six counter sinks and a beautiful bathroom for the ladies.  He also drove back to Kansas to purchase two large water heaters for the women’s center (one was broken and the other wasn’t doing too well) which he has since installed.  He not only donated the water heaters, he has also donated all the fixtures and hardware needed to build the women’s bathroom in the main facility.  He also checked all the plumbing in the Mission and the women’s center, making repairs as needed.
   

• Ten volunteers from the Tacoma Rescue Mission in Washington spent a week cleaning and repairing the women’s facility for use by other volunteers.  They did the initial work on the women’s facility cleaning up the mess, removing all the debris, carrying out the refrigerator and freezers, and cleaning up the yard.  Their work made it possible for the volunteers from Kentucky to come.
   

• Lou, Donnie, one of only three remaining staff, and myself cleaned the day room which now serves as a warehouse for storing all donated supplies (food, cleaning supplies, hygiene supplies, bedding, etc.). They also repaired or replaced all the exterior locks on the building to insure security, and cleaned out the client storage area where the homeless men checked in all of their belongings.  Everything had to be thrown out, as well as the personal belongings of the women, due to contamination by rat urine and mold.  It was also infested with vermin.  Lou made arrangements to get pallets donated from Home Depot for stacking all Mission supplies.
   

• Country-western recording artist,  Rick Caruso and Al Smith (lead singer from Blacksmith and president of EduConcert in NY) have finished recording an album (CD) for the Mission entitled Hurricane Relief for New Orleans. The album will be sold for $10 and all net proceeds will go to the New Orleans Mission (as displayed on the album cover).  The lead song, written for the event by Rick Caruso,  is entitled “The Water Runs Wild” and is being presented as the Mission theme song in 30-second and 60-second PSAs.  The main album also includes cuts from a number of other country-western recording artists. They estimate that their effort should result in substantial funds for the Mission over the next year.  Rick is also donating half of the proceeds from three of his current albums.
   

• Mr. Gonzales has been working with Danny Garcia (the “Walking Man” who is famous for walking around the world) to set up a walk from New York to New Orleans.  The kickoff event will be a concert at the university across from Madison Square Gardens on the evening of November 16th.  Mr. and Mrs. Gonzales will be flying to New York on the 15th to decorate a 1988 Chevy donated for the event, to meet with UN officials, to coordinate the activities and to preside over the event.  Signs on the doors of the car will say “New Orleans Mission” and will include the Mission’s phone number.  A rear sign on the car will say “Walking to New Orleans.”  Danny will then begin his walk on the morning of November 17th, being escorted out of the city by a crowd of university students.  There will be filming of the event and the walk and recording of testimonies from people along the way.

Danny will walk between 40 and 50 miles per day on a route that will take him through Philadelphia, Washington DC, Atlanta and various other cities as he heads for the Gulf Coast.  In Washington D.C. Danny will meet with various Senators and Congressmen to share the plight of the Mission and the City of New Orleans.  His arrival in New Orleans is scheduled for December 21st where he will be met by a large crowd at the Mission for a special ceremony.  The United Nations will be doing a kick-off ceremony in New York and UN representatives will be present at the Mission to plant a “Peace Pole” as a monument to the Mission’s work for peace.  This is an eight-foot monument that the Mission will place somewhere between the main facility and the women’s facility.  The 1988 Chevy (mint condition), which was donated by a 90 year old woman in NY, will be used as the official pace car for Danny’s walk.

Rick Caruso, along with a cameraman, will be driving the car to carry Danny’s water and to coordinate the walk.  A large bus will also carry the musicians who will be playing at various stops along the way.   Arrangements are being made for organizations  to host an event whenever Danny comes into town. This will  give the New Orleans Mission and the cause of the Gulf evacuees greater visibility.   

Informative flyers will passed out to the public along the way and organizations, mostly other rescue missions and churches, will be providing shelter and meals along the way for Danny and his entourage.  The brochures will ask for a contribution of $19.88 to feed a family of four, and will include one raffle ticket per donation to be used when the Mission raffles off the car at the Mission during the annual Christmas meal on December 23rd.  When the walk ends, the Mission will publish a book and will use the film for making PSAs and commercials.
 

• We are also working to have Jane Goodall (world renown primatologist, Nobel Peace Prize winner and founder of the Jane Goodall Institute) and Heidi Kuhn, founder of Roots of Peace participate in both the kick-off event and closing ceremony in New Orleans.  The goal for this event is to gain national (potentially international) publicity, and connect with other supportive organizations.  It will be announced at the closing ceremony that Danny will be carrying the message of restoration and peace to other countries in the middle east and Europe where he will attempt to build sister relationships with other foreign missions.  It is hoped that the story will eventually be told through print, music, film and events to people around the world.
   

• We have been working with the Bowery Rescue Mission in New York and HomeAid to stage a Thanksgiving event at the Mission.  HomeAid has connected with CNN to film the event and interview locals for their morning show.  The Bowery Mission will be providing a turkey meal for the community, Rick Caruso will be staging a concert, and a ground-breaking ceremony will be held for the new women and children’s facility.  The event will take place the morning of Thanksgiving outside behind the main facility, weather permitting, or inside the main facility if it rains.   CNN will reportedly film in the morning.  They are sending one of their anchors to participate.  A homeless woman from N.O. with a son and daughter plans to come back from Houston (where FEMA  sent them).  Their home on Baronne St. was damaged by the hurricanes, and she will be the first person living in our remodeled women’s center.  She has a tremendous story about her survival and will make a good spokesperson for the people of New Orleans who lost everything because of the hurricanes.  She will be asked to be the cook for the facility in exchange for a place to live until her home is ready for occupancy.

That’s what’s happening at the New Orleans Mission.  We will be contacting you soon to request you involvement in our events.  Things are moving really fast so we’re just busy trying to keep up.  Keep us in your prayers.  God bless you each one.

Ron Gonzales, Executive Director
New Orleans Mission
504-523-2116
 

Applications are currently being taken via Internet for scheduling and coordination purposes. Those wanting to volunteer (individuals or groups) need to send their contact information along with a description of their skills or areas of expertise, the number of workers if part of a group, and their projected length of stay. As the information is received, we will put together a schedule and notify volunteers of our plans. We are very thankful for all of those who have indicated their willingness to help, and for those who are already supporting us financially and with their prayers.