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Rotary Clubs of Jonesboro
Aid Mississippi Communities

On Wednesday morning (4:00 a.m. to be exact), October 12, 2005, a group left Jonesboro headed for Bay St. Louis, Hancock County, Mississippi on the Gulf Coast. The purpose of the trip was to

• attend the Rotary Club of Bay St. Louis Wednesday noon meeting,
• meet with local officials to explore ideas for a possible long term project to assist local residents
• host an evening social event with local Rotarians, city officials and their families.
• meet the fifth truck load of relief supplies sent to the area by the joint efforts of the three Rotary clubs in Jonesboro.

By all accounts, the delegation's goals were achieved.

Hancock County took a direct hit from the eye of Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005. The towns of Waveland and Bay St. Louis included some of the most devastated areas along the Gulf Coast. Sixty percent of all buildings and homes in Waveland are completely destroyed with another 20% uninhabitable. Bay St. Louis fared better but still suffered unprecedented destruction including flooding in areas that had never flooded before. See the photos below.

Making the trip were Jonesboro Rotarians Gene Wing, Bob Schuchardt, Bob Rubenstein, Mary Ellen and DGN Bob Warner, and DG Marilyn and Sam Hummelstein. Representing the City of Jonesboro were city councilman, Alec Farmer and consultant, Betty Shaw. Also joining us for part of the trip was PDG Sam Chaffin of Little Rock who came to observe our efforts plus meet with Rotarians from Mandeville, LA where the Rotary Club of Little Rock is undertaking a relief project.

Thanks to the generosity of past Rotarian, Paul Minton, owner of River City RV in Sherwood, an RV was made available which provided room for six of our party to ride together plus we were able to utilize the RV to take our own food and supplies and have space for several to sleep and eat. Mary Ellen and Bob Warner traveled in another vehicle and pulled an 18’ trailer filled with chairs, tables, bar-b-que grills, food, water and supplies for our events.

In addition to our supplies, an 18 wheeler filled to the roof with food and supplies left Jonesboro which we met in Bay St. Louis. Our team helped local relief workers unload the needed items that will help feed thousands of relief workers and local citizens still dependent upon outside help for food and other essentials of life.

Our hosts, most of whom have lost their homes and businesses, opened their hearts to us in a way that defies words. Our efforts to learn how we could help the citizens of this devastated area move toward recovery were met with overwhelming appreciation. One telling comment came from a long-time friend of Bob Warner who said, “we are proud people who find asking for help to be very difficult but we do need all of the help we can get to restore our lives and the lives of our family and community.”

Our tour included the town of Waveland, MS, just west of Bay St. Louis where the total destruction reached well over a mile inland. Sixty percent of the homes in Waveland are gone plus another twenty percent are uninhabitable. Homes and structures that had survived the storm to end all storms, Camille in 1969, were wiped off the map by Katrina. We visited briefly with the Mayor of Waveland, Tommy Longo, who was still showing signs of the shock a month and a half after the storm. This was one of the many moving moments of our trip.

We learned first hand how insurance coverage, even for those with flood insurance, will be unable to rebuild or repair their homes due to coverage limits and restrictions.

The Steering Committee of the Rotary Clubs of Jonesboro’s Hancock County, Mississippi Relief Effort has agreed to help the Rotary Club of Bay St. Louis with its first post-Katrina project – a community-wide Thanksgiving meal for 6,000 to 7,500 residents and relief workers. A long term project to leave something of value and permanence for the citizens of Hancock County will be developed based on the needs of this community. More about these projects, including a list of the organizations and individuals who have contributed to this effort can be found on the Rotary Club of Jonesboro’s web site – www.JonesboroRotary.org . 

Click images to view larger versions.

Hurricane Katrina targets Hancock County on Aug. 29


100 year old home succumbs to Katrina


Downtown businesses destroyed


Destroyed boyhood home of Bob Warner


ASU's Truck Driving School provided this truck and two drivers.


Unloading food and supplies at relief station


Everyone during truck unloading


A few of the supplies shipped from Jonesboro


Shelter Boxes from the UK were used for housing relief workers in a "tent city" in Bay St. Louis.

News Coverage of Bay St. Louis on
National Public Radio

I want to help!