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Marisa FitzGerald (right) explains how to organize
hurricane relief donations and supplies to 4-Hers.
“We are
taking a little bit of everything because we think a lot of people have lost
everything."
Marisa FitzGerald
UK Cooperative Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences in Jessamine
County
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By Aimee Nielson
NICHOLASVILLE, Ky., (Sept. 23, 2005) – When the Tsumani struck South East Asia
last December, Jessamine County Extension Family and Consumer Sciences Agent
Marisa FitzGerald conducted a program to educate people about the affected areas
and to raise money for victims. Her mother is a native of Thailand so it was
personal to her, but still so far away. In the days after Hurricane Katrina hit
the U.S. Gulf Coast, FitzGerald began to think of ways she could help the
victims of a tragedy much closer to home.
She and a group of community leaders in Jessamine County began to amass ideas
and then resources to organize a trip to Louisiana to help people who have lost
nearly everything.
“We are taking a little bit of everything because we think a lot of people have
lost everything,” she said. “It was a personal decision but also a work decision
[to go]. Extension is really a grass roots organization, and we’re all about our
people. Our people are our best assets.”
FitzGerald said just about everyone in the community wanted to participate.
Local banks gave money and supplies and provided storage locations. Restaurants,
stores and other businesses collected cash and supplies, and a local trucking
company is providing transportation for all the supplies to Louisiana. Even
Nissan on Nicholasville got involved by donating a courtesy van for FitzGerald
to drive down, loaded with supplies. A Jessamine County deputy sheriff will
provide an escort for the caravan.
Nicholasville Now [downtown revitalization program] Executive Director Karola
Hartley is a Louisiana native. Much of her family still lives in the state, most
in a town 150 miles northwest of New Orleans called Opelousas in St. Landry Parish. Her ties to Louisiana
opened opportunities for Jessamine County to serve hurricane victims. FitzGerald
and eight to 10 others from Jessamine County plan to stay in Opelousas for about
a week.
“Overnight they almost doubled their population because of Katrina evacuees,”
Hartley said. “The town has a population of 20,000 people. I found out they
desperately needed help because they didn’t have the resources to handle the
influx of this many people overnight. Most left thinking they were going to be
gone two days, like usual, so they only brought things for that. They had
absolutely nothing. They also know they don’t have anything to go back to. The
volunteers there have been wonderful but they are getting tired, so we’re going
to relieve them.”
The group will cook, provide transportation for kidney dialysis patients, help
operate the distribution center and they may even help organize a benefit
concert to raise additional funds in the area they are serving.
“It’s a great opportunity,” FitzGerald said. “Watching it on the news is so
different from actually being able to be there. It’s such a huge tragedy, but if
every person is able to help out in any capacity they can, things can improve so
much faster.”
Extension Homemakers and 4-H members have been involved in collecting items to
ship to Opelousas, enough to fill five large trucks so far.
“The response has been unbelievable,” said Hartley of her community’s efforts.
“At a time like this there are people who need so much and we see our people
show up and be there for them. My home will always be in Opelousas, but
Jessamine County is a wonderful community to live in.”
Other Extension groups around Kentucky are doing their part to help fellow
Americans affected by the disaster. In Woodford County, 4-Hers learned to make
and can jellies, jams and
salsas earlier this year. They decided to sell the goods and donate the proceeds
to hurricane relief. Some 4-H agents are looking at the possibility of going to
Katrina-stricken areas to help youth, while one 4-H camp in Kentucky has offered
to house up to 270 evacuees through April 2006.
Tom Priddy, agricultural meteorologist for the University of Kentucky College of
Agriculture recently expanded his weather service to include forecasts and
weather information in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The Web site is
http://wwwagx.ca.uky.edu.
Kentucky Cooperative Extension has also set up a fund to help Extension
professionals in the hurricane affected states. Several Extension offices were
damaged, and Extension staff lost homes and property. Needs are still being
assessed and a more organized relief effort likely will take shape soon.
Writer:
Aimee Nielson
859-257-4736, ext. 267
Contact:
Marisa FitzGerald 859-885-4811
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