Av and I went back to the coast bringing supplies for our second trip yesterday – this time, we brought less canned food and more fresh food. Friday we were told that some people had eaten beans from the can for a few days, so we decided that since we knew the food would be eaten immediately (so spoilage wouldn’t be an issue) we got our 20 or so cases of water but also brought tons of bread, muffins, sweet buns, a few cases of tomatoes, cantaloupes, peaches, plums, and apples. Av also bought some grocery sacks at Sam’s so that things could get divided and people could get some of everything.
Loading up the van for trip #2
We went to the farmer’s market in Birmingham, and when I told the people we were buying the fruit from that we were taking it to Mississippi, they gave us a discount and some free fruit too. Everybody wanted to help.
Av and I made our delivery, and people literally started eating the fruit it as soon as we took it out of the van. We pulled up (with a police escort) next to a truck full of bags of ice – which is really great, because ice is an important commodity. Other good news is that we passed convoy after convoy after convoy of National Guard on the highway down to the beach – one convoy was just of National Guard trucks towing boats, and there was another of this huge amphibious vehicle that took up about 1-3/4 lanes on the highway. I really wished that I had made a sign before we left that said ‘thank you’ that I could wave to the Guard and let them know how much everyone really does appreciate their help.
Help is on the way.