Flood Disaster Relief for Eagle

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[akmuckraker]

Here's a thread I'm starting to open a discussion about flood relief in Eagle.  Here's where to post questions and suggestions about how to help.  There seem to be lots of people on the blog who are looking for a place to discuss this on the forum but have not ventured over here yet.  So I thought I'd come in and set up a thread for you.  Just type in the box below and click POST when you're done.  Bookmark this page so you can come back and see others' responses.

Thanks to all of you for stepping up to help.  Alaska has had so many challenges this past year, and the support and caring of this community has just blown me away time and time again.   

(For newbie forum users, just click the little pink "Reply", type in the box and click Post!]

[yukonbushgrma]

Just want to underscore what AKM had to say.  "Support and caring" - yup, that's our mudflatters for sure.

Please keep checking this thread.  Whenever I get any news of what's needed here in Eagle, I'll be sure to post it.  In the next few days, as soon as I get it, there should be information available on how you can do a cash donation, and I'll make every effort to make that option available to mudflatters outside the US.

I think I will separately post the list of requested items here (the list from the blog) so you don't have to go back to look for it if you need to.

You all just cannot imagine how your outpouring of generosity and concern has impacted us here.  Everything you do, and say, keeps us going for another day.

Thank you, AKM and the whole Mudflats community.

Much love,
ybg

[yukonbushgrma]

Hi gang -- here is the list that our distribution center sent out yesterday.  This is the stuff that is really needed in Eagle right now.  If there are future changes/additions, I'll let you know.  BIG THANKS AGAIN!  This is a good list, because it emphasizes the things we need to start putting our lives back together and making new homes.

(NOTE:  Before you order or mail anything, double-check what it will cost you to ship it (especially on sites like eBay - read the fine print).  Shipping to Alaska can be expensive, depending on how it is done.  When shipping to Eagle, the most reliable and probably most cost-effective way is via US Postal Service.  Flat-rate boxes are great, but you can also use parcel post, especially for larger items.  UPS and FedEx are expensive, and they don't get here any sooner than US Mail.)

Gently used and clean clothing items - bush appropriate clothing :
jeans, work shirts, t- shirts, underwear, socks
Hiking Boots/work boots, rubber boots especially mens sizes 9-12
Tennis shoes
Work gloves
heavy duty rubber gloves (for clean - up) - those used during fishing season are great!
Rain Gear

We need tools:
Pry bars
hammers
axes
saws
chainsaws & accessories
tape measures
squares
levels
screw guns
hack saws
sawzalls

We also cannot keep enough of the following on hand:
Paper towels
bleach (not the scented kind - can't cleanse a well with that)
hand sanitizer
toilet paper

update 5/21/09:
Dog Food is needed -- dry is best for their teeth:
for working sled dogs - they need a higher-protein food for winter
for house dogs - anything, but lamb & rice is always good (best not to have too much chicken or corn)

In addition these items will be needed LATER in the season:
gift cards to Cabela's & Big Rays (currently working on getting donations and discounts from these companies)
long johns
heavy winter socks
arctic gear
furniture & household goods

For those of you who would like to mail items...please send to:
Cindy Gowins c/o Eagle Distribution Center, Eagle Alaska, 99738.You can also call the Distribution Center (Eagle School) and ask for Cassy or Cindy at 907.547.2210 if you have any questions.

Thanks to everyone for their support!!!!  YES WE CAN!

ybg - Eagle

[yukonbushgrma]

Our dear HOPE has offered to drive up from the Kenai Peninsula and pick up donations along the way to go to Eagle.  What a totally generous thing to do!   Hope,

But she's planning to do it this THURSDAY, May 21 -- so we have very little time!

If you're on the highway up from there, let's say all the way up to Fairbanks (she might not have to go all the way to Eagle) -- and you have things you'd like to put in her truck, please post it here.  She needs to know if it would be worth making a trip up, and if so, where she can expect to pick things up.  It would be great for those heavier or larger items that would cost a lot to mail.

I don't know if she will be joining us here on the Forum, but I've asked her to phone the distribution center and leave a message for me, so we'll get together by phone and email.
---------------------
Here's her original message from the blog --
Hope Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 7:44 PM
YBG and Mudpups along the highway:

I have a covered pickup. I live on the Kenai Peninsula. If you have big items you can’t mail, I can drive up to Eagle on this Thursday (May 21). If you are on the Peninsula and have large unmailable items you’d like me to take up, let’s see if we can set up pickup points between here and there on Thursday, and I’ll just meet you, pick up your stuff, and go on up. I’d leave from the central Kenai Peninsula early Thursday, so if you’re from here or Homer you can get them to me before that, or we can set up times. Then anywhere else on the way up through Anchorage, Palmer, Tok, and on up.

I don’t know how to do this, though, without giving out too much information. I’ve never cracked the forum code or anything. Help, anyone?

I have a group of folks down here I’m in contact with, so I’ll get the word out here, then can someone help me figure out how to organize the rest of the stops if there are pups along the way who want to get larger items up there? without letting everyone reading this blog know?

THANKS!

HOPE!-----------------------------------

best,
ybg

[HOPE]

Woohoo! I'm here!  Thanks, AKM for starting this thread! I have responded all over the place, so if I should move what I said on YukonBushGrandma's other thread, I will do if I can figure it out.

I'm sorry that Thursday is my only chance for a while to get a couple of days to drive up there. It sure makes it short notice, but I figure the sooner the better, too.

I can collect stuff from the Peninsula (Homer, Kenai, Soldotna, Nikiski, Ninilchik, etc.) before Tuesday, so let me know ASAP if you're down here. Then I'll stop anywhere we've got stuff on the way up on Thursday. 

I'll go over to the other thread and see if I can copy and paste that here.  And now I'll check here for replies. I'm assuming we don't give our home emails on here??

YBG suggests I call the center in Eagle, and I will do that when I get offline (dial-up! ya gotta love it!)

THANKS again, all!

HOPE!

[HOPE]

Posts: 6


   
   
OK. Here is the message I put over on YBG's thread to help me get here. THANKS, all!!    I will now check here at this thread to see if people have stuff for me to pick up, and I will now get offline and call up there.

**********

For all reading this, I plan to leave the Kenai Peninsula early this Thursday morning (May 21) with a truckload of larger items on YukonBushGrandma's list (if we get some! so make sure and respond if you've got stuff for me to take up there!)  and drive them to Eagle or Fairbanks, whichever sounds like it will work best.  If you live on the way to either place, I can stop and pick up your larger items to take up. If I go to Eagle, I'd go up through Anchorage, Palmer, Tok and up to Eagle.  If I go to Fairbanks, it'd be Anchorage, Wasilla, Fairbanks. I could swing through Wasilla and across to Palmer if you folks in Wasilla have stuff to pick up and I DO go to Eagle.

The main thing is that I need to know ASAP if we have enough large stuff to take up and can gather it by Thursday. These tools and stuff will be hard and expensive to mail, so if we can gather them and get them up there in a truck, that'll work way better.

So if you have stuff to send up there, please let me know. Maybe we can get a drop-off place in each town between here and there.

HOMER: I can come down there tomorrow (Tuesday) or Wed. and pick up anything you've got. I've been in contact with a few people there, but don't know if they will respond, so if there are mudpups down there, let me know, and we'll get peninsula stuff early if possible.

Seward?  we could meet at the "Y" if you've got anything, or I could see what we can work out.

I'm figuring Anchorage  will have stuff, and a lot of us are from there, I think, so the more consolidated it is there the better, but I don't mind making more than one stop if necessary.

OK. I'm not sure how all this forum stuff works or how many people read it, so I'll keep my fingers crossed, and we'll see if we can fill up a truck by Thursday. 

Please let me know if I should give more info here?? THANKS, all!

HOPE!

[yukonbushgrma]

HOPE!!!  You found us!  Yay!

I can't say enough to thank you for your willingness to do this.  So, anyone who wants to get rid of some stuff, post here at this topic and we'll try to coordinate it ASAP.

 

ybg

[HOPE]

Thanks, YBG!  I'll check in here often and see what we've got. I have had my first call from down here, so I think we're on our way.

I did leave my phone number by phone, and also in response to your email, so hopefully you've got that. Call any time, and I'll be by one or the other phone.

HOPE!

ps. Folks, even if you don't know if you've got lots, or how much you've got, please let me know on this thread if there's a possibility you might have some so I know if we're on the radar with this. THANKS!

HOPE!

[honestyinGov]

YBG... I sent an email to AKM last night asking some questions about sizes for clothing..?
I'm only 5'8"... and you said in the pics hubby there was 6 foot.
I have at least 2 or 3 Winter type jackets that would fit somebody.(man or woman) I am in size Large as far as shirts or sweatshirt/t-shirts and and far as jeans go I am about a 38 x 32 now. What size does someone 6 foot wear...?
For the benefit of others reading... what size would fit you as well..?

I know I have various good pairs (not sure how many ?) of 34 or 36 waist jeans that I probably will never get back into as well. I wouldn't want to send those along if they are not the right size and nobody would use them and they would just fill up the box space and take away from room for stuff that fits.
The 3 coats alone would fill a big box.... so we are trying to be practical.

Can you give us an idea on sizes...?

[yukonbushgrma]

HonestyinGov,

We have quite an assortment of people sizes, so really, anything could probably be used.  Don't think about just me and hubby! -- there are quite a few folks here who are totally dependent on what they can find at the distribution center.

For guys, L or XL are probably the most common, and 34/36 jeans are very much a common size.

There are even a few children too - not sure of sizes there, but one's a husky 5-year-old boy, and the other is a boy toddler, just started to walk.

Are you on the route for Hope to pick things up from you? -- that would answer the question of the big stuff.

Big thanks for asking!
ybg

[austintx57]

First time to use forum........there has been mention of Lowes. I did some research on it. There is this option available.http://www.cardways.com/CP001/Ecerts/Customize.asp?MallSupported=N&catid=2449&cardtype=EG&productid=14 Do you want me to compose a post and put it on the thread ?? More people would see it there. Also went to Lowes and cked on pressure washers. 1 person can do the work of 4 , and in a couple of hours to boot. Plus then neighbors and friends can use it. They are really fast and thorough and free up time for other things. Is Fairbanks close ?? There is 1 Lowes there.

[honestyinGov]

YBG...
After reading all of the stories on Mudflats I would truly like to visit there... but I am in the Lower 48 in CA... so ' not along the way ' is an understatement. I'm about an hour away from caligirl over there in San Francisco.

As children we traveled a lot (camping) since both parents were teachers and had summers free. Have seen all the states except Alaska and Hawaii.
Have been to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons and I picture Alaska sort of like that..... BUT on a MUCH larger scale. And no interstate freeway leading right up to the entrance.

My package would have to come thru the mail and so I will have to ask about shipping when I go by there today. I believe you had mentioned that 'Parcel Post' through USPS is more practical.... especially since this will be bulky with coats.
Keep us updated... and stay safe

[yukonbushgrma]

Honestingov -

Oh goodness, yes -- you aren't exactly on Hope's route up here, are you?  heehee

Parcel Post is probably the ticket.  But don't send something if it is a burden for you, please, OK?

----------------------
On another subject, I'm still waiting to hear specifics on how people can donate cash.  (and they *promised* me they'd let me know today ... )  In the meantime, think about gift cards for Home Depot and Lowe's.  We've already received donated phone cards, and that was very welcome.

What great people you all are!

ybg

[yukonbushgrma]

austintx57 -

Glad you're here in the Forum!!!!!   

oooooo, that cardways.com thing looks super-appropriate ... I wasn't able to get to the page you linked to, but just went to www.cardways.com and saw that there's a way to "send a gift card from your favorite retailer" -- and they show one for Lowe's!  (Yes, there is a Lowe's in Fairbanks ... Home Depot too.)

Now THIS would be a way right now for the foreign people to get in on it if they wish!  and the gift cards would be used for building homes!

Great find - many thanks!

ybg

[austintx57]

Sorry about the bad link. try lowes dot com and go to their gift cards . Gift cards can be VERY tricky. The Lowes one says no fees or time limit. Watch for that if you choose others. please look at the Lowes one. people can do it on line and you get a printout of the credit quick. Also - let me know about a pressure washer.....I looked at them and can zap you some info.

[Irishgirl]

I will have a look at Lowes. Sometimes, you have to enter zipcodes etc and I found recently that I couldn't buy a gift card from Ireland. So I'll also be waiting for the other info from you ybg.

And a big  to the forums to Austintx. 

[yukonbushgrma]

I will have a look at Lowes. Sometimes, you have to enter zipcodes etc and I found recently that I couldn't buy a gift card from Ireland. So I'll also be waiting for the other info from you ybg.

Irishgirl -- as soon as I know anything, you'll see it here!  Today I heard they're trying to set up a Paypal account for Rebuild Eagle, so maybe it's coming ...
ybg

[yukonbushgrma]

an afterthought ...

Another useful gift card would be Cabelas(dot)com.  You might recall that they're working on Eagle discounts from Cabela's (Big Ray's too).  These companies offer the right type of clothing and gear we need here, especially for the frigid winters.  Gift cards would enable residents to select the right size and type of clothing they need.

Just a thought.

ybg

[Martha Unalaska Yard Sign]

Hope and yukonbushgrma:

Do you think that you can get any help from posting on the ADN Rural Blog, or by contacting Kyle Hopkins?  I know there are Kenai peninsula, Anchorage and Mat Valley mudpuppies who might have contributions if they know what's happening.

http://community.adn.com/adn/blog/104297

[Martha Unalaska Yard Sign]

Hope and yukonbushgrma:

Maybe Writing Raven from Anchorage could be notified, too.

Her blog:      http://alaskareal.blogspot.com/

Her email:     WritingRaven AT gmail.com