Evacuees coming to my city's shelters tonight; people lining up to help

I just moved to Rapid City, SD, from Ohio a few months ago, and have been trying to discover the general mood of the city (are people compassionate, caring, generous, etc.). This past week has shown me just how wonderful most people in the area really are. We received word last week that up to 500 evacuees may be coming to Rapid City; the state quickly got shelters set up and prepared and received the full cooperation of those in Rapid City and Sioux Falls. People have been responding with an outpour of compassion and action, offering temporary jobs, housing, clothing, child care, emotional support, etc., etc., etc. Local radio stations held a drive for gift cards from area stores, book drives for the children were held, etc., etc.

I have not heard ONE single negative comment from anyone at all anywhere about having to deal with the evacuees, or anything like that. People are volunteering in droves, and so eager to help. It's unbelievably heartwarming and encouraging, since not every area of the country has been so receptive and caring (like, say, Tulsa, OK, whose mayor actually held a news conference to "reassure" his citizens that there were no plans to comply with the Red Cross and FEMA requests to house and assist evacuees, and certainly not to interfere with any facilities "vital to our economy). When I talk to my mom and son in Ohio, they tell me about the really negative attitudes towards the victims and how people are glad they aren't likely to be sheltered there (big fucking surprise, knowing Ohio as I do).

My co-worker and I, both paralegals, are going to volunteer to help with the unemployment or other benefits application process, since the last thing people in these situations need or even can deal with is red tape and paperwork; we're also going to try to help with debt/bills/bankruptcy issues wherever we can, since creditors wait for no one and don't give a damn if you've lost everything and now have nothing but the clothes on your back.

I just thought I'd let you know that there are some really wonderful areas of the country that are very eager to help the evacuees and do whatever they can, amidst all the cruel, negative, and downright racist attitudes.

by plane tonight and tomorrow. There are already several students enrolled in the local high schools, they arrived a few days ago.

In other cities, some survivors have arrived baffled, thinking they were going to reunite with family members in Houston and told enroute they were going to New England.

Local people are wonderful to them, but they're far away from familiar family and food and the South, and gamely making the best of it. Perhaps you can explore whether they can relocate again if they still want to once everyone is out of danger.

(I'd be upset if someone picked me up and set me down a thousand miles away.)

as generous to the Native American population in SD.

Please read the information here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4716572&mesg_id=4716572 so that these SD shelters get into the Shelter Finder database and we can make certain that the people there are not on the missing people lists.

http://katrinahelp.info/wiki/index.php/ShelterFinder

We will then also need volunteers workin in the shelter to help make certain the folks in the shelter are in the central database.

I am in SD, but too far from Rapid or Sioux Falls to help, so doing what I can on-line.