When I was a Kid.... -- Notes from Zarahemla Political Forum

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Date Posted: 09:22:48 12/30/05 Fri
Author: Jean
Subject: When I was a Kid....
In reply to: Chuck in ND 's message, "ND is pretty good at" on 15:50:48 12/27/05 Tue

and living in Barry County Michigan we had a huge snowstorm(well bigger then normal...we always had lots of lake effect snow anyway). It was so bad that cars with chains on the tires couldnt get through nor could the snow plows keep up. So a bunch of people with snowmobils(my uncle was one of them) went convoy style into town(about 20 miles) to get food and medicien for people who couldnt get out and to the store themselves. This convoy went right past my grandparents home(my home as I grew up with my grandparents).
No one waited for any government agency to come and help...they would have died waiting back then(early 70's). We lived in rural Michigan.
Most people had basements full of home caned foods so no one starved. We didnt have a fireplace and our gas furnace was powered by electricity but I dont recall it being out for very long as we lived right inside the city limits(first house inside the city limits) But I had a snowsuit and lots of warm things to wear if it was needful and family that lived further in town that my grandparents could have sent me if we did lose power for very long.

Here were I am now....KY, we had a tornato in 95 that cause enough damage to get federal money to help people repair the damage...however if people had not taken pictures of the damage our people would not gotten the funds(loans) to make the repairs. It was all cleaned up and roads cleared(by rednecks and their chainsaws) before fema got there to check on the damage.
When someone with a chainsaw heard that someone was traped down their road(up on the ridges and in the hollows)they would go and saw away at the downed trees until the roads were cleared.
In our town we have a community center that is set up as a shelter when ever a disaster strikes(floods, icestorms, tornatoes, snowstorms).
I remember when a HUGE snowstorm hit a few years back and people didnt have power or heat some of the big employeers put their workers and their families up in hotels....got them blankets and food.

I cold go on and on on just how much people help oneanother here.

I am on the Rowan County Christmas Board. We raise money to help out those below a certain income to get a christmas gift for each child and food for Christmas. They get to pick the $15 gift for their child and they get so much money according to their family size to buy food (only food) at the local store...this store gave us so much off the price of each gift certificate so we were able to give more to our people for less money then we could have at the larger chain stores.
Rowan County Storybook Christmas works hand in hand with us to provide each of these families with a book for each child in the family.
All of it is donations. No government help.
My husband "passed the hat" at the theatre that he manages when we had a large amount of people there just before he would start the show. He told people what it was for. I found out how generous people are.
He had Father Christmas robes he wore around this time(real white beard,....he bleaced it out for Christmas).
Kids would run up to him and give him money for this program.
He asked one little boy what he wanted for Christmas and the little guy said..."oh just get me a little something and send the rest of it to the kids in Louisiana"
I saw people put in $20 bills into the passed hat for Rowan County Christmas.
Being on this board has been one of the most rewarding thing I have ever done....well besides getting married and having my wonderful kids!

anyway I gotta run and get ready for work.

Blessings
Jean

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