By
Libby Mills, MS, RD, LDN
Pennsylvania Dietetic Association
PR Co-Chair
The breathtaking pictures of clouds, winds and rain… buildings reduced to rubble… a sea of rooftops… and the lives, livelihoods, and lifesavings of people floating, washed away in a historical moment. As a nation, we will not forget the devastation, damage, and heartbreak of Hurricane Katrina any time soon.
In the wake of this disaster, dietitians are reminded of how people have come to depend on the services we provide, the health we sustain, and the safety we ensure. With thousands of people reduced to digging-out and cleaning-up before even starting over, we are presented with new professional challenges. Like a scattered family, we are driven to find and connect “our own.” And, we discover new leadership and inspiration and demonstrate amazing strength in our united efforts.
Starting Over Care Packages
Out of compassion and heart-felt desire to help, Marilyn Howell, RD of Mount Joy, PA initiated and orchestrated the Starting Over Care Packages for Hurricane Katrina survivors.
What inspired you to spearhead a relief effort such as the Starting Over Care Packages.
“Reading my list serve messages, many posts from various dietitians came up expressing their prayers and concern for those who were in Katrina’s path. Someone asked if ’ADA’ was going to do anything in way of relief efforts. This made me think, ‘Of course, ADA is made up of individual people.’ Reading just a few of my colleagues’ stories broke my heart. I wanted to do something personal. So, I thought of ‘Starting Over Care Packages’.”
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Katrina Survivor Listserv
Dianne Kiyomoto, RD
The Katrina Survivor Listserv is a newly created, non-ADA listserv facilitating help and support to ADA Katrina Survivors. This listserv is not open to the public.
To join, send an email message to:
katrinardsurvivors-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To send a message (after subscription acceptance):
katrinardsurvivors@yahoogroups.com
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How did you get the process going?
“I looked around for what was useful and started purchasing calculators, sticky tabs and other office supplies. I posted my idea to the Katrina Survivor listserv and copied PADA and ADA listservs in case someone else might want to do a similar project. I received many supportive e-mails, of most significance from Jan Little, PADA President-elect. She offered to contact the Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana Dietetic Association presidents to see how we could help. The first person able to respond was Kathy Warwick, RD, CDE and President-elect from Mississippi.”
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“Having never been through anything as completely devastating as those surviving Katrina, I know what having your world turned upside down feels like after hearing, "You have cancer". My experiences, relying on family, friends, and total strangers to help my recovery, plus my desire to do something personal and practical, all led me to donate copies of my book A Dietitian's Cancer Story to PADA for the Starting Over Care Packages.”—Diana Dyer, MS,RD and Speaker at the 2006 PADA annual meeting in King of Prussia
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“From there, everything took off. PADA members joined the effort. I agreed to receive and ship donations.”
How broadly did your initiative reach?
“Not only did Pennsylvania dietitians respond, but donations arrived from Ohio, New Hampshire, and Michigan. My home became a mini warehouse for donated office supplies, reference and resource books, hand sanitizer, thermometers, tote bags, educational material, ‘smilies,’ calendars, and organizers. My daughters had a blast helping sort and organize the boxes of donations into care packages. Initially five packages was my goal, however we ended up with 20 care packages with extra goodies to boot.”
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“Packages Received!”
Dear Marilyn,
I received all seven boxes today and they are stacked up in my garage! I told the UPS guy who delivered them what was in there and he just grinned and said, "Aren't people just good when they need to be?"
I can't wait to distribute these to all who are in need. We found out today that many of our Dietetic Students and Interns who attend University of Southern Mississippi have family homes that were lost to Katrina as well.
I can't tell you how much it means to me and how much it will mean to the RDs in Mississippi to get those prayers and goodies from PADA. Ya'll are the best!
Thanks for your idea, your hard work to make it happen and for reaching out.
God Bless you all,
Kathy Warwick |
Was anyone instrumental in getting your Starting Over Care Packages to those who needed them?
“Without the knowledge of protocol and networking by Cynthia Burke, PADA president and Jan Little, PADA President-elect this project would not have been successful. I am thankful for the many generous people who identify saw this grass roots effort as an opportunity to help. Margaret Meade once said—‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed people can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.’”
What were some of the challenges?
“One challenge was how money was spent. Dietitians paid to ship items to me and then PADA paid to send them to Mississippi. For future packages, a geographically central drop-off point might make more sense. The big looming challenge was finding the dietitians who needed the packages. With no or limited email and phone capabilities, it was hard let them know we were sending help.”
What did you learn; what can we all learn from this experience?
I have been looking to find tangible ways to show kindness, I guess facilitating this relief effort was an outgrowth of that. I think the listserv was a great tool to highlight the synergy we can create—one person has a seed of idea, another adds to it, and another, and then we have a full blown plan.”
Thank you to “Starting Over Care Packages” donors
A list of donors and items is at the end of this article.
PADA Board and Members Reach Out
Marilyn’s idea was not unique. Similar efforts have been organized across the state. Northeast Dietetic Association President, Carol Kneier mailed out a personal letter to members in her district organizing donations for more gift packages. The other five districts in Pennsylvania have plans for similar donations. Each district will decide the destination of items collected.
To support these and emerging efforts in other districts, the PADA board approved $1,000 to help pay for shipping of donations to the Gulf Coast areas from the six district dietetic associations. Each district will determine the destination of items collected.
Please contact the following district presidents for details of their collection and shipping efforts.
District President Email
Central Linda Crawshaw lcrawshaw@yahoo.com
Lehigh Valley Melissa Feather feather@allentowncity.org
Northeast Carol Kneier pckneier@nep.net
Northwest Carol Landis clandrd@aol.com
Philadelphia Eileen Chopnick emc114@aol.com
Pittsburgh Laura Moliseed LMRD2@aol.com
Here are items of need. Because everything is in boxes for the survivors, be sure to label the outside of the box with the contents. For easy distribution for specific needs, consider picking an area of the home or practice to donate, e.g., the kitchen. Avoid electrically run products, instead choose battery operated items.
Personal:
Toiletries
Soap
Toilet paper
Razor blades
Shaving cream
Towels
Lotion
Toothpaste, floss and brushes
Household:
Anything for the kitchen, i.e.,
Flat ware, dishes, napkins
Resealable containers and bags
Cookware
Gadgets
Batteries
Professional:
Clinical nutrition reference materials
Medical dictionaries
Nutrition patient education materials
Food thermometers
What you use in your practice
More information is listed on the website. Please go to www.eatrightpa.org for a list of needed items and mailing directions.
Students in Dietetics Programs Reach Out
Pennsylvania Dietetic and Nutrition students are conducting "A Dollar Donation" fund drive to be given to the ADAF Disaster Relief Fund.
ADA Supports Members
The ADAF Disaster Relief Fund was created for the many ADA members who survived the hurricane and are now rebuilding their homes, practices, neighborhoods and lives. "We are receiving a consistent daily flow of contributions toward this fund. Hundreds of ADA members have already contributed to this effort," says Rebecca S. Reeves, PhD, RD, FADA, and American Dietetic Association President.
Check the ADA Web site, www.eatright.org, to learn more about how ADA is supporting our members in need with employment opportunities, a soon-to-come guide to dealing with disasters and a special 2005 FNCE-St Louis session featuring individuals
who found themselves on the front line of Hurricane Katrina disaster relief.
The need to help is ongoing. “We found out today that many of our dietetic students and interns who attend University of Southern Mississippi (USM) have family homes that were lost to Katrina as well. USM has set up a fund to help the students, but I am sure we can help those who are interning and have to start over,” says Kathy Warwick. Others report improvement in people’s situations. “Many of the people from New Orleans and other Louisiana parishes are out of the shelters. It is not nearly as acute now, but there is still need and we still have many evacuees here from Rita,” says Beverly Millison, MS RD/LD CDE, resident of Flower Mound, TX, member of Tarrant County Medical Reserve Corp.
And Our Strength Still Grows
To assist ADA members and dietetic students alike, you can make a contribution to the Foundation’s Disaster Relief Fund by visiting http://www.eatright.org/obc, log in and then click on the "Disaster Relief" button at the top of the page.
Thank you to “Starting Over Care Packages” donors:
FROM |
ITEMS |
Lori Endriques |
Office supplies and reference book |
Diana L. Flinn |
Office supplies and books |
Mary Ann Wareing |
Office supplies and binders |
Carol E Sweeney |
Office supplies, reference books calculator and clipboard |
Janet K Little |
Office supplies, reference books, calculators, clipboard |
Suzanne Cryst |
Office Supplies, Reference, Calculator, clipboard |
Susan Konek (CHOP) |
Office supplies and calculators |
Sue Noriega |
Reference books, educational videos and cookbooks |
Kessy Kieselhorst et al Geisinger |
Office supplies and calculators |
Zaneta Pronsky |
12 copies of Food/Medication Interactions |
Irene Berman-Levine |
copies of Dr Irene's Nutrition Tidbits |
Julie Stefanski |
6 textbooks |
Libby Mills |
Cancer patient education materials |
North Texas Dietetic Association |
Money |
Diana Dyer |
A Dietitian's Cancer Story, both English and Spanish editions, by Diana Dyer |
ADA DPG Consultant Dietitians in Health Care Facilities |
2 pocket resource for nutritional assessment |
Indiana University of Pennsylvania |
**not received yet |
Sources:
Kathy Warwick, RD, CDE
President-elect for Mississippi Dietetic Association
118 Ingleside Rd.
Madison, MS 39110
Phone (H): 601-856-0005
Phone (C): 601-826-2131
kwarwick@canufly.net
Carol Kneier, MS, RD, CDE, LDN
President Northeast Pennsylvania Dietetic Association (NEPDA)
478 Niagara Drive
Pleasant Mount, PA 18453
Phone (H): (570) 448-2506
Phone (W): (570) 253-8149
Fax; (570) 251-6575
pckneier@nep.net
Marilyn Howell, RD, LDN
1817 Landis Road
Mount Joy, PA 17552
Phone (W): (717) 367-1121
Phone (H): (717) 367-1959
Fax: (717) 361-5390
mhowell@masonicvillagespa.org
marilyn@djazzd.com
Diana Grant Dyer, MS, RD
Author A Dietitian's Cancer Story (English and Spanish editions)
Available from AICR (1-800-843-8114)
P O Box 130221
Ann Arbor, MI 48113
Phone and fax: (734) 996-9260
Diana@CancerRD.com
Rebecca S. Reeves, PhD, RD, FADA
American Dietetic Association President
C/o Lori Ferme
Media Relations Manager
American Dietetic Association
120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 200
Chicago, IL 60606
Phone: (312) 899-4802
lferme@eatright.org
Beverly Millison MS RD/LD CDE
3701 Lavorton Place
Flower Mound, TX 75022
972-724-1885 home
203-547-6492 fax
bevlyann@comcast.net |
