Dearest Friends,

In the aftermath of Katrina, I sit here with a heavy heart and tears in my eyes for my brothers and sisters down south. While my immediate family is safe and dry, times like this really make us realize just how far 'family' can extend. I watch the footage on TV and sift through the photographs online. By mileage, I am far removed from the destruction. By human nature and emotion, the devastation is all around me.

The hardest part of all of this for me, personally, is trying to get past the feelings of helplessness. I live in Washington DC and here, life is not stopping. People, myself included, are watching the TV and donating money, but for the most part, life as usual is expected. I am supposed to sit down and read cases in a law book for class while cities in my homestate are lying in ruins. This is not something I can do. I need to do more. The people back home deserve more than that from me. I realize I can donate money and help to make phone calls, but I really feel like my efforts could be put to better use. Writing a check is easy for me and will help take care of the immediate needs and hurt. At the same time, I am afraid we may not be looking far enough ahead to see the people that will still be hurting in a few months.

I have decided to co-ordinate an effort to give them what they truly need: the love and support of their fellow Americans. Thinking of all of the children that will still be homeless this Christmas breaks my heart. In their few years of life, these kids have already been through hell. In a matter of days, they lost homes, parents, loved ones, schools, playmates and basically life as they knew it. Any sense of stability and routine they had will take a long time to rebuild. I think we should start this by providing them with the best Christmas we can.

Instead of writing a check to one of the numerous charities, I intend to put my money to a different use. I am going to rent a truck and drive a "Caravan 4 Christmas" to those most affected by Hurricane Katrina. I am willing to rent the largest truck I can find if you are willing to help me fill it. If I can get people to help out and we can make this effort as big as possible, I firmly believe we will be able to make a difference this holiday season.

Logistically, this will most probably be an on-going effort but beginning with a truck, a storage unit, and people willing to help spread the word will be great. If anyone has resources to help out, please contact me! I will use this website as a way to coordinate efforts and could use all of the help I can get.

Sincerely,
Laura Bourgeois
Caravan4Christmas@gmail.com