Good news!

The Red Cross just got back in touch with me, and I have my first disaster relief "class" on Thursday night. Apparently it was decided today that 2,000 refugees from Katrina will be coming to Camp Gruber (which is near Muskogee, OK, roughly 45 minutes or so away), and that number may go as high as 5,000 as more accurate need assessments are made. The woman I spoke with asked if I would have any problems with going back and forth to Camp Gruber, and when I told her no she as much as guaranteed me that they'd be using me there as soon as they could get me into the system, both for single shifts working around my regular job(s) as well as weekends.

There's also a local church that is organizing a convoy of trucks full of food, water and clothing to leave town on Monday morning, but I'm still waiting for the man in charge of it to return my call. I'm not sure whether it's just a straight up in and out delivery mission, or something that is going to be more time-consuming because they plan on staying and pitching in. An hour ago, it wouldn't have mattered to me, but now I'll just have to see. I may still find myself a part of that as well, but if there's a conflict then the Red Cross takes immediate precedence due to the fact that they're an organization that I'd really like to become a permanent part of.

Hurray! It's so nice to know that I'll finally be able to do more soon.