While many of us were off at the NY Sheep and Wool Festival, enjoying ourselves, and all the fibery goodness involved, close by there was an angel at work, and we didn’t even know it.
This person I speak of is Angela Cole. When the first reports about Hurricane Katrina started Angela was compelled to help. She registered as an aid worker with appropriate agencies and after waiting for the call, which never came, took it upon herself to get supplies and get down to the hardest hit areas of the Gulf coast.
When she arrived in the area she asked where was it the worst. She was told to try Pearlington MS, and that is where she went..
What she found there was devastation, and an utter lack of help from any government agency that is supposed to be there after such disasters strike.
Over the last year she has adopted this town of Pearlington, going there several times at her own expense, and doing what she can to help. She has done more for this town than any aid agency that is officially tasked with this job. She has gotten media attention to the area, and started The Pearlington Foundation to organize and raise funds to help the families still there to rebuild.
I have been doing what I can to help her in this effort. The going has been tough, at times I feel like David vs Goliath, As people say.. ‘why don’t they just move out of there?’ and start somewhere new? The fact is that if they moved, they would be immediately homeless.. right now the families that are still there at least have a FEMA trailer over their head, occupations that they know, and some friends and family around them. To leave that.. that little plot of land with their name on it.. would be very difficult.
There are also times when I feel completely blessed as people dig deep and give even when it is an extremely difficult time for them. And trust me.. some times even just $5 is a sacrifice.. thank you..
My dream when I started Purls of Hope, and the subsequent fundraising blog Knitters Build a House was to rebuild just one house there in Pearlington.
I want Angela to be an angel of hope this Christmas.. telling these families that yes they are not forgotten, and yes they can rebuild their homes their lives and their hope.
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