From Nola to Atlanta

As I spent the Labor day weekend helping evacuees find clothing, housing, food and some direction in their now home-less lives, I realized these evacuees are no different than you or me, except now they have nothing but each other and we have everything to offer. For the majority, they are smart, educated people that had good jobs, nice homes and are incredibly family oriented. Most that I met had practically nothing now but yet gave away the little that they had to help those that had even less. One young guy in particular walked in the community church I was volunteering at and I immediately assessed he was in need of assistance. BJ was a young firefighter from New Orleans that had left two days before the Hurricane hit, ended up in Atlanta and had no idea where his family was,if they had made it out safely or where to turn. He was lost and worried, I told him I bet his family was just as worried about him as well. We quickly decided that the first priority was to locate his family and then we could begin the process of finding him housing, clothes, job leads ect. With little internet resources at the church we were able to get online with my laptop and began the internet search for any information on his family and to register that he himslef was safe. After doing the CNN and Red Cross avenues we actually just googled his name and family. We found an email address of a relative in search of his Mom and Dad and emailed her. Then we continued our search and found a blog of someone looking for his Mom, Dad and sister who wrote that as of Sat they were trapped in an apartment building they had fled to. Suddenly, an email popped up and it was from a relative I don't think he had ever met but she was asking if he was ok? did he need money? where was he? and to please call one of the numbers listed. Within minutes BJ was on the phone with his Mom and Dad and with tears in his eyes hugged me with a huge broad smile and began to tell his family all that had taken place. I had to leave the room to give him privacy but also because I was a little choked up. And then for the first time I heard his wonderful laugh and knew that everything would eventually be ok for this young firefighter from Nola. It had only taken us an hour to reconnect him with his family and his story is so similar to so many others. He told me "you're my people now." and as we sent him off to be with his Aunt in Dallas Georgia, he gave me a wave, a smile and a thank you. I'm looking forward to hearing more from him in the days ahead.