Sunday, September 25

Red Cross volunteers

DERIDDER — A few days ago, American Red Cross volunteer Bob Vanicore was handing out food and supplies to Hurricane Katrina evacuees at the Lake Charles Civic Center.
Vanicore now finds himself at the receiving end as an evacuee himself.

"I don't like it," he said. "You can sure put yourself in their shoes."

Vanicore and his family drove their motor home to DeRidder. It now sits beside DeRidder Junior High School where Vanicore is volunteering.

"It's out of gas," he said, throwing his hands to the air. "Clean out."

Red Cross volunteer like Vanicore gave teamed with the Oregon National Guard to feed and care for the hundreds of evacuees who are staying at Beauregard schools and churches.

There are 350 at DeRidder Junior High and another 600 at DeRidder High School.

On Sunday, Red Cross volunteer and DJHS teacher Cathy Hall drove around DeRidder, picking up limbs out of residents' yards to fuel the barbecue pitt that's feeding the near 1,000 evacuees at the two DeRidder schools.

Hall said Double D Steakhouse donated a pickup full of produce for the evacuees.
Hall has asked local restaurants and stores to donate food like crackers, bread and peanut butter.

"They are going to be here a lot longer than we thought," she said. "They've got water and ice but short on food."

Hall said the schools also need charcoal.

"If someone's got the food, there's no point in it spoiling when we've got hungry people," she said.

For more information on donating food to the Red Cross, call Hall at 462-9441.

Elona Weston
DeRidder bureau

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