Angela leaves Pearlington MS and returns to the real world where we have already forgotten Katrina

Another post from Angela.

Dear All,

Once again, I find it somewhat difficult to find the words to write. Many of you have asked for an update regarding the situation in Pearlington, Mississippi. For several days, I have been struggling with just how to describe these past few weeks and give you said update. As I write to you this time, I am not sitting under a Christian aide organization's large food tent being eaten alive by mosquitoes while using their free internet service or balancing a laptop on my knees inside the old train depot in Bay St. Louis while nurse practitioners, doctors, and nurses see patients around me at the free clinic. I am sitting in the quiet stillness of my home office. It is infinitely more difficult to write from here. I feel isolated from the people whose names and faces have become such a part of me: "Big John" and his larger-than-life smile; Toby and his ever-present bandana and head-on stare; Yvette and those penetrating, resolute eyes; Mr. Sonny and those pearly whites; Butch and that blue fishing hat and those pain-filled eyes that will never forget what he saw on August 29, 2005; Lula, Brittany, Mr. Ike, Orelia, LeeAnna, Tom, "Preacher Man," Mikey, and Mamma Sams whose deep and plentiful lines write a novel of strength and survival across her 88 year-old face. I feel a deep void now that I am 1,000 miles away from them. After almost 3 full weeks in Pearlington, I felt it was time to return to my home in New York where I can advocate for these new friends on a much larger scale.

There is no question I have learned much throughout the course of this experience. As with all experiences in which we truly engage, some of the learnings have been good and some have been not so good. As most of you know by now, there is no question the people of Pearlington, Mississippi were overlooked in the days - even weeks - immediately following Hurricane Katrina. It is well-documented that the most basic of services - a place to receive ice, water, and food and portable toilets in which to empty wastes were not readily accessible until weeks after Hurricane Katrina made landfall. And, even then, those services quickly turned from within reach to unattainable. Goods at the "distribution center" set-up at what was once the Pearlington school were - and are - being rationed. Residents are limited to only 2 bags of ice - 2 bags of anything - at one time. As my photos have shown, these people are still living outside in tent "clusters" with sometimes 10-15 people in a cluster. 2 bags will not get you through the day, much less the week. As for the portable toilets - the ones not delivered until some 3-4 weeks after the disaster - they were only scattered throughout Pearlington some 10-14 days before being taken away on Sunday, October 2nd. And, sadly, the few aide organizations that are present in Pearlington sit in the air-conditioned school distribution center and ration goods while residents fight the flies, mosquitoes, and heat in their encampments. Aide organizations are not doing outreach and delivering goods directly to those that need them the most. It is not difficult; I did it for some 3 weeks from the back of an SUV - people gratefully taking bread, peanut butter and jelly, bottled water, first aide kits, clothing, blankets, Ensure, and other supplies. However, all was not - is not - lost because word of the situation in Pearlington spread; and, many of you personally responded - some of you in a big way.

On Sunday morning, October 9th, I had the distinct honor of guiding a 48' tractor trailer loaded with supplies sent from Newnan, GA into Pearlington, Mississippi. We were met by local residents who unloaded, sorted, and distributed goods throughout the day. We unloaded in the yard of the Mount Zion AME Church, the church built by Mamma Sams' late husband. It was a symbolic day of hope and renewal as goods were delivered directly into the hands of the people of Pearlington - no lines, no forms, no rationing - relief as it should be in my opinion. Men, women, and children, Black, and White came throughout the day to visit with each other and take water, clothes, and food as needed. We worked together to get the bulk of goods distributed before nightfall. To most of us, it was a good day. To others, it clearly was not.

On Tuesday, October 11th, another truck arrived - this one from Rev. Richard Clay and members of his congregation from Newnan, GA. As had happened on Sunday, residents gathered in the yard of the Mount Zion AME Church to unload and sort the goods. Of course, I had the permission of the current pastor, Rev. Fred Fields, to have the trucks unload there. However, on Tuesday, what was seen as hopeful to some was seen as threatening to others. Rev. Fields angrily approached and informed me that I was to have no further goods delivered directly to the people of Pearlington. He stated that all future deliveries "must" go to the school and go through their distribution center. He further stated that if I persisted, the Hancock County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) would shut me down for not being an official distribution center and the goods would be taken to the school. I explained to Rev. Fields that it was my understanding that private citizens could indeed make private donations to other private citizens. It has been and is happening throughout the disaster zone with no repercussions. To be certain that I was hearing Rev. Fields clearly, I called-over some of the other church members and had him repeat his "warning" to them. Their reactions were strong and clear - as was their gratitude to the people of Newnan for their generosity. However, with a tacit understanding of how things still work in the far corners of the deep South, just before nightfall, four local women and I quietly lifted as many of the remaining cases of water and supplies that we could approximately 50' over onto Mamma Sams' private property, which borders the church yard. The goods were no longer on the property of the Mt. Zion AME Church; and, Rev. Fields, who is on the payroll of the distribution center, could go back and report that the goods were no longer on the property of his church. However, he could not report that the goods were going to be transferred to the school either. In the days that followed, private citizens and I persisted until all supplies were off church property and in the hands of those who need them the most. Clearly, this incident is disturbing on many levels. The citizens of Pearlington gathered, unloaded, sorted, and distributed all donations in an orderly, caring fashion. They did not hoard; there was (and is) no need for rationing. They made deliveries to their elderly neighbors; and, more often than not, were reluctant to take "too much." I constantly reassured them the supplies were meant to be used by them as needed. There was no rationing from the back of those trucks. And, there will be no rationing on all future deliveries. I have been assured that the trucks from Newnan, GA will continue to roll into Pearlington and their wares will continue to be placed directly into the hands of those that need the goods the most. While the reports of corruption, "mis-allocation" of supplies, and rationing at the school distribution center are incredibly disturbing, I find it even more disheartening that my "close encounter" with an authority figure was someone who identifies himself as a representative of the church. While Rev. Fields could not see his way clear to offer even a prayer of thanksgiving on a Sunday morning when his people were receiving much-needed necessities, he could indeed very clearly deliver a strict warning to me to have no further supplies delivered to Pearlington. Since Rev. Fields is on the payroll of the distribution center, I suppose he was able to report back that he did his job well. I do not know how or what he can report to his parishioners.

On Friday, October 14th, an article about Pearlington ran in the NY Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/14/national/nationalspecial/14tent.html

I had been visited by a reporter earlier in the week; and, true to her word, she did file the story. It profiled the Earl family, who were still living outside some 7 weeks post-Katrina. It also mentioned the portable toilets that had been suddenly and inexplicably removed. On Monday, October 17th, I am told that the portable toilets suddenly returned to Pearlington, 14 days after their exit but only 3 days after the NY Times article ran. On Tuesday, October 18th, the Earl family suddenly received their family-sized FEMA trailer for which they had applied some 5 times due to the repeated loss of their application. Coincidence or the power of the pen? I'll let you draw your own conclusion.

In spite of some basic sanitation back in place, the piles of debris being used as garbage dumps still remain; the putrid water still stands; the little distribution center still rations goods; and, so many who were not featured in a major newspaper still sleep outside under tarps and in tents. The temperature is predicted to drop into the 40s at night over this coming weekend. Over the next several days, another truck from Newnan, GA is set to roll with coats, boots, and blankets and a wonderful group from Pensacola, Florida is set to return and finish the job of mucking-out Mamma Sams' home. Yet, much remains to be done and many questions remain to be answered:

- Why have the public health risks caused by lack of sanitation, contaminated water, and piles of garbage not been addressed by the appropriate government agencies?

- Why did the State Epidemiologist for Mississippi, Dr. Mills McNeill, stop the Air National Guard MASH Unit from even assessing the public health risks on October 3rd when they had the staff and the materials to do so?

- Why did Colonel Janet Sussman, colonel in charge of the MASH unit, allow Dr. McNeill to stop Colonel Ridkey, the Guard's public health official, from proceeding as planned?

- Why did a minister in Pearlington, Rev. Fred Fields, who is on the payroll of the Distribution Center order a relief nurse to stop the delivery of goods directly to the people; and, how does he have the authority to do so?

- When does the lease the county holds on the land in Pearlington expire? (While the people own their houses, they lease the actual land from Hancock County, Mississippi; and, the houses in Pearlington are gone - completely destroyed and not covered by insurance.)

- Does the US government wish to expand the NASA Stennis Space Center that borders Pearlington? (These people were moved years ago when Stennis was built.)

- Is it true there are corporate interests in the thick, pine forest of Pearlington (such as International Paper)?

- What, if anything, would be done for the people of Pearlington if it were not for private citizens from outside the area who care?

I certainly do not have all the answers; but, I am knocking on the doors of those who just might. I am continuing my quest to have the Pearlington situation investigated; and, I am keeping in contact with residents there and with the good people of Newnan, GA and Pensacola, FL who are committed to delivering on-going supplies directly to those who need them. I refuse to allow politics to prevail over poverty. Sadly, not everyone feels quite so strongly. The work teams promised by the Mississippi United Methodist Conference never materialized. The last time I spoke with their director of disaster relief, he told me, given the situation in Pearlington, they did not want to "get involved in any politics." He assured me he would call me back; however, he did not and the promised teams never came. The promised mobile medical van from Methodist Hospital in Memphis did come. It stayed for a total of 2 days. Rev. Fields wasted no time in having a private conversation with the corporate representative from Methodist Hospital who accompanied the mobile clinic. I was not included in that conversation.

These past few weeks have been amazing in many ways. I am honored to have had the opportunity to meet so many resilient, hopeful people and the wonderful individuals who read my emails and came (and are still coming) to help. Rest assured, the people of Pearlington are grateful for your efforts, each and every one. I wish I could end this final update email from my time in Mississippi right here - with the image of hopeful people receiving supplies - all their problems solved. However, I can not. While my new friends are hopeful, they are also tired and worn-down from weeks of living outside - most of that time without even the most basic sanitation facilities and still without clean drinking water or electricity. They are tired from standing in long lines to complete the same forms again and again; and, they are weary from seeing a landscape littered with the refuse of their former lives. While the neglect of the people in Pearlington is well-documented, I am certain of the high probability that this sort of thing is happening in poor communities all along the Gulf Coast. And, of course, my deep concern is that once the newspaper stories stop running and outsiders stop coming, the abuses will become even more flagrant. So, I will continue to fight for the people of Pearlington and I will return to visit them in the near future.

Someone asked me since I have been back in "the world," how I feel. That's a tough question to answer, but I'm going to try. I am angry. I am angry about the neglect I witnessed first hand. I am angry about the excuse of politics being used to deny readily available services to the most vulnerable among us. I am hurt for those still struggling to survive each and every day deep in the woods. I am exhausted and I miss those who became such a part of me so quickly. Lastly, though, I am resolute. I will rest for a bit; and, when I am refreshed, I will put on a suit and walk the halls of high places and tell the truth of Pearlington, Mississippi. I can do no less for those citizens of this country; they are our neighbors, our cousins, our aunts, our uncles, our brothers and our sisters. They deserve the best we have to offer. We must not allow politics to prevail over poverty - not today; not in Pearlington, Mississippi; not anywhere.

Thank you again for what so many of you have done and will continue to do.

In Peace and Justice,

Angela J. Cole, MPH, RN

THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO RESPONDED (Please forgive me if I missed anyone - it was not intentional):

- Chris and Claire Stehling of Red Hook, NY whose generous donation and connection with WalMart allowed me to re-stock my SUV early-on after arriving in Pearlington before word was really "out" about the situation there;

- All the good people of Newnan, GA who sent a 48' tractor trailer of supplies thanks to the coordination of Reggie and Suzanne Lybrand (and are sending another truck soon);

- Pauline Harris and family for their hard work to get that first truck stocked and loaded as well as their generous cash donation which allowed me to re-stock my SUV with water, Ensure, cots, and many other supplies;

- Susan Smith and family whose generous cash donation also allowed me to keep my SUV stocked with supplies;

- Rev. Richard Clay and his congregation of the Miracle Tabernacle Family Worship Center in Newnan, GA who brought-over, unloaded, and sorted another fully loaded truck;

- Paula Payne and the tireless men and women of the Perdido Bay United Methodist Church of Pensacola, FL who spent an entire day mucking-out and salvaging priceless treasures from 88 year-old Mamma Sams' house (and who are returning today to finish the job);

- Mary Kay Deen, who in spite of losing her own home and all her belongings in Bay St. Louis, worked alongside Paula and her team to muck-out Mamma Sams' home - you're an inspiration to all who know you;

- Ellen Wilson and her husband who made an old man's dream come true with the purchase and delivery of a chainsaw so he could clean-off his property;

- Last, but most definitely not least, the many nurses and staff of the Loudoun Medical Group from Leesburg, Virginia who followed me deep into those piney woods and vaccinated young and old against Tetanus and Hepatitis A - ya'll are amazing!


Tags: Pearlington MS