Donating My Time, My Skills, My Tools, My resources

[Dowadudda]

The wife and I have talked about it. And we have just been ripped apart watching this on the News. We have been broke. We have been with 5 bucks in checking, two kids, not a pot to piss in, with no prospects. And we were just saying, Imagine if we had to endure a hurricane, when we were that broke, what on earth wouyld we have done.

I sit here and I am in a unique position. I am a self employed refrigeration contractor, and financially things are well for us, better said, I am in great shape. I am always slower in winter, and could create it so that it is even slower, and I would have business on my return garunteed.

I am willing to go down there and offer my time, my tools, my skills to provide on site emergency refrigeration repair for all the emergency equipment assets. Anyone know where to go and put my name on a list and if they need me they can call.

[woowoo]

Dow
Contact the american red cross or one of the other orgizinations on this list.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency lists these organizations for those seeking to assist victims of Hurricane Katrina:

Donate cash
American Red Cross (800) HELP NOW (435-7669) English; (800) 257-7575 Spanish

Operation Blessing (800) 436-6348

America's Second Harvest (800) 344-8070

To donate cash or volunteer
Adventist Community Services (800) 381-7171

Catholic Charities, USA (703) 549-1390

Christian Disaster Response (941) 956-5183 or (941) 551-9554

Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (800) 848-5818

Church World Service (800) 297-1516

Convoy of Hope (417) 823-8998

Lutheran Disaster Response (800) 638-3522

Mennonite Disaster Service (717) 859-2210

Nazarene Disaster Response (888) 256-5886

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (800) 872-3283

Salvation Army (800) SAL-ARMY (725-2769)

Southern Baptist Convention -- Disaster Relief (800) 462-8657, ext. 6440

United Methodist Committee on Relief (800) 554-8583

[James 3528]

The best place to start is here. With forum members in the area. Ask them what to do.

[Dad]

I just put a thread out there before I saw this.

James is correct... let's not add to the problem by going down there. Our skills will be needed there but not right now...

Some of you guys in Florida, please explain what I mean here and how you guys took a step by step recovery process and implemented it. We can use your experience to help the storm victims there… spread the word… what is the best way and when should we react?

[James 3528]

Right now ....money is what they need. I am not that big of a fan of the Red Cross but I am giving. Thank God for Texas!

[Mr Bill]

Originally posted by James 3528
Thank God for Texas!

James, I am a native Houstonion for 53 years and that is why I live here "plus the a/c business is good" Houstonions have always been some of the most generous folks in the world.
I heard the Texans football owner was going to give a million dollars to help and that is just one example. I was at this ongoing a/c class we have to attend now for license renewal, and the hotel we were at had Houstonions coming by and asking to pay for the rooms for the hurricane folks man you talking about bringing a tear to you eye, I know there are other states and city's that are just as generous out there also and thank God for all of them.

[bootlen]

Texas...spanish for friendly.

[secorp]

In Florida it was always about Ice, water and Food. many great humans would drive over to the local Fema and Red Cross to donate the water and ice.(keep in mind Ice does melt)
Many other WONDERFUL people went with a chain saw and helped clear the first house they came across. this would probably only work in Alabama and Louisiana. N.O. is just plain ol-screwed until the water gets pumped out.

[secorp]

Oh ya Mississippi too!

[icemeister]

That's a truly noble idea, Dow.

I went through two major hurricanes back-to-back last year and it was like hell on earth to get anything done.

I bugged out of town for both storms and waited for local officials to give the all-clear to return which was about four to five days. I didn't get any calls from customers for the first three days and the first to get power back was five days.

One thing I learned from news reports and web information is that they don't give a clear picture of what's really going on down at the average person's level....they tend to focus on the dramatic and ignore the normal, if you get what I'm saying. When I was an evacuee, I had no clear idea of what to expect at all when I returned. Fortunately I fared better than many folks around here, and much better than those hit by this disaster.

Once back and ready to go, the call list was growing rapidly and I had to set priorities as to who I went to first......kinda like a triage. I concentrated on getting customers open for business. The walk-ins first, the ice machines, the A/C, the sandwich preps had to wait.

I could only do half the number of calls I normally did in a twelve hour day because of the difficulty of getting around through the debris, the traffic, sitting in gas lines and getting needed parts. Cell phones worked only at some areas, landlines and pay phones were out all over. It really sucked.

The supply houses were all on generator power, no computers, and sporadic deliveries. The biggest item I lacked was contactors. I bought up every on I could find because the most common failure I found was burned coils. The next most popular were condenser fan motors and refrigerant.

Get in touch with a manager at a Baker Distributing branch in Louisiana or Mississippi. URI has branches in New Orleans and Mobile, but I doubt they're available. The store manager will have a good of what their commercial guys are up against and may be able to steer you to some of them to assist.

I know that if I had gotten hit with a storm like Katrina I'd be jumping with joy to see some of you guys to help out.

Of course, you could just go there and start cold calls to C-Stores and markets......I'm sure they'll welcome you. I would still contact the supply houses to get a feel for the areas and set up accounts, etc.

Another problem will be where to stay. I'd bet that there are no motels with rooms within 50 miles of where you need to be. In two weeks there won't be any in over a hundred miles.

If you decide to go, my hat is off to you.....and Godspeed.

[Edited by icemeister on 09-01-2005 at 06:38 PM]

[amickracing]

The no hotel room is another good reason to work on your connections. Maybe someone on here wouldn't mind a roomie (if they are in the right area and have the space).

[hvacprodmgr]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by icemeister
[B]That's a truly noble idea, Dow.



Get in touch with a manager at a Baker Distributing branch in Louisiana or Mississippi. URI has branches in New Orleans and Mobile, but I doubt they're available. The store manager will have a good of what their commercial guys are up against and may be able to steer you to some of them to assist.












Ice and Dow, As I understand it, our Mobile branch will be back up and operating as access is permitted, there was no damage to our branch there. They may be open now, but not sure if they have power.

As for New Orleans, yup, you are right, they are going to be closed for several weeks. Good news is we found out all of our employees in the 2 stores and their families are alive and accounted for.

[icemeister]

Originally posted by hvacprodmgr
Good news is we found out all of our employees in the 2 stores and their families are alive and accounted for.

It's great to hear some good news for a change.

[A/C_Rookie]

Another problem will be where to stay. I'd bet that there are no motels with rooms within 50 miles of where you need to be. In two weeks there won't be any in over a hundred miles.

W already have no hotel rooms worth staying in for approx. 130 miles north of N.O. Phone service (land and cell) is very erratic. But the good news is that all our techs are counted for although many of them lost every thing including their work truck.
I was in Florida after Ivan and conditions were bad. I have already been in some of the bad areas here and this mess makes me ready to go back to Florida.

[Dowadudda]

This may sound terrible but, as I see the crackheads and heroin addicts spin out of control in New Orleans, I just don't care to help them. I would say 99% of the people stranded still are the ones who have done nothing but leech off my taxes their whole lives anyway. You all do know, they could have started walking, and ten miles torwards the west, on dry land, they would be fed and hydrated and then more easily been evacuated. I run five miles every morning.

Yeagh, In the Missisipi area and Alabama area that would be more apealing. I think it will take till spring before they are even close to being ready for any intitial efforts by someone like me. This is a massive area of Destruction. Okay there showing all of us on TV, New Orleans, Biloxi and such. But, think about every single home, gas station, hardware store, Mcdonalds, Home depot, the list could go on and on. All of it has to be either redone or remodeled. And not just in New Orleans or Biloxi, were talking small towns, suburbs, ect.

I have a question Icemeister. Obviously, your hurricanes were not as strong or of equal destruction but it did mess you guys up. Okay so now, for months I recall your were busting your ass trying to get to all the customers and up and running. Since because there just trying to get going again too, I am sure it took some time to get paid, right? That can be just as disrutive to a business like ours. Waiting 3 to 6 months for payment. And the real shit of it is, they aint trying to screw you, there just trying to get going again. What do you think of this, your experience is valuable. Once this all gets going. Most of this is non repairable and must have nw equipment, or do you think things will be repairable. I dunno. Never been through it before, but in your post wirtting about it, I was surprized to hear you say that, you were repairing and not replacing.

[James 3528]

I care nothing for the crack heads myself. They have made this problem worse and the media as always paints them as average suffering and neglected citizens.

[secorp]

Don't forget you can always give blood and not by laceration. They always need BLOOD.

[rob10]

Have some relatives in Conventry. Will hook up with some volunteers for clean up or rebuild.

[icemeister]

Originally posted by Dowadudda
...I have a question Icemeister. Obviously, your hurricanes were not as strong or of equal destruction but it did mess you guys up. Okay so now, for months I recall your were busting your ass trying to get to all the customers and up and running. Since because there just trying to get going again too, I am sure it took some time to get paid, right? That can be just as disrutive to a business like ours. Waiting 3 to 6 months for payment. And the real shit of it is, they aint trying to screw you, there just trying to get going again. What do you think of this, your experience is valuable. Once this all gets going. Most of this is non repairable and must have nw equipment, or do you think things will be repairable. I dunno. Never been through it before, but in your post wirtting about it, I was surprized to hear you say that, you were repairing and not replacing.

I too was surprised there was not a lot more replacement to be had considering some of the damage around here. In the worst hit areas I had to deal with the buildings were so blown away the owners just salvaged what equipment they could and moved on to other locations, some hjust walked away. Many had units that were pushed to the side, blown over and one even blown off the roof, yet were immediately able to be repaired and operational.

Operational is the key to what I was saying before about trying to get as many customers able to reopen as possible. With the chaos of those days there was no way I or anyone else could have gotten new equipment installed in a reasonable time frame, so the stuff got patched up so it would run. I was able to get five or six stores up and running every day at times. That is what I focused on.

Sure there were rusty old units with holes in the condenser coils from flying roof tiles that I would have given last rites to under different circumstances, but if I saw a way to get it on line I did just that.

Some of the worst units I got to replace later on anyway. Many still await replacement.....the storm damage greatly shortening their normal lifespan. I'm in no hurry. I'll wait.

As far as getting paid I had no problems at all. A few tried to get me to wait until their insurance check came in, but I just told them the the repairs would also have to wait because I need to get paid for my work now.....I'm not a banker.

Nearly all of them tried to get me to vastly inflate their losses so they could scam their insurance companies. That's just wrong and illegal, but there was a lot of that going on.