Louisiana relief truck

New Albany, MS- Editor’s note: NAnewsweb.com received this information from one of the sponsors of the Union County effort to fill a truck with needed supplies for the flood victims of Southeast Louisiana. The people of Union County gave generously of their time, effort and money to assist those in need. The flood victims in Louisiana continue to need our support. If you have additional time or funds to donate, check out the original article for suggestions, or check with your favorite charity or church about possible plans to aid those affected by the floods.

August 21, 2016

A Letter to the Public,

The folks of New Albany and Union County are exceptionally generous.  On Sunday evening, an 18-wheeler crammed-jammed full of supplies to aid those flood-stricken homeless citizens of Southeast Louisiana left Roberts Trucking after literally hundreds of local individuals gave and gave and gave for the benefit of those who have lost everything.  There is no way to list all of those who donated, and I do not believe that anybody did it for recognition, but solely because they wanted to help others in their time of need.

Union County donations being unloaded in Louisiana

As soon as the trailer’s doors were opened to begin receiving items around Thursday at noon, there were two donated pallets of water waiting to be loaded.  That was just the beginning of a steady string of donations which continued the rest of Thursday, all day Friday and until late Saturday afternoon.  There was enough stuff on that trailer when the giving was over to stock at least one, maybe two, general merchandise stores.  A bunch of families are going to be much better off because of gifts from here which probably reached a value of $25,000.00 or more.

They did not do it for any reason other than they wanted to help, but none of this would have been possible without Blake and Alyson Roberts at Roberts Trucking.  When I called Blake Wednesday afternoon to ask if he would provide a truck and trailer, he never hesitated and said one would be in the parking lot in front of the Library before noon on Thursday.  From there, it was just volunteers helping, and one good deed led to another.

The real physical backbone of all this, however, was the group of Union County Jail Trusties who worked from early to late all three days accepting donations and loading the trailer with pallet after pallet.  Their names are:  Mario Patrick, Frederick Vallar and Scottie Smith.  Just in case anyone is wondering, they told me they would be proud to have their names in the paper for what they did and that they are Trusties.  Without them, this effort would have been much more difficult, and definitely not as efficiently handled.

Maybe the people of Southeast Louisiana would do the same for us should we experience such a tragedy.  And then maybe not.  Here’s hoping we never find out.  But one thing we all did find out:  the folks around here can be counted on to give when it counts.  Again, mighty generous folks who count their neighbors as anyone in need, no matter where they are.

Thanks to all of us,

RUTLEDGE AND DAVIS LAW OFFICE

For the original article with suggestions for ways to help: Aid for Louisiana flood victims