Lawrence to adopt family of hurricane victims

While Lawrence resident Sarah St. John watched scenes of destruction and despondent families left by Hurricane Katrina, a thought kept racing through her mind.

“You just wanted to reach into the television and pull them out and put them in your spare bedroom,” St. John said.

She came up with a plan to turn compassion into action.

“We got to talking, and we came up with the idea of why not have every little town in the country adopt a family?” St. John said. “It sounds a little far-fetched, but why couldn’t it work?”

Lawrence city leaders want to prove it can work.

Mayor Boog Highberger announced Thursday that City Hall would work with relief agencies in the Gulf Coast to transport a family to Lawrence, provide them with temporary lodging and find family members a job.

The Douglas County Community Foundation already has announced it will donate $5,000 to the effort and has set up a fund for additional community donations. SpringHill Suites by Marriott has agreed to provide a week’s stay for the family, and Highberger said he was talking with local landlords to find longer-term lodging.

Highberger said the Lawrence School District also was ready to expedite enrollment for a family with school-age children.

Highberger set the effort in motion after receiving a phone call from St. John on Wednesday evening.

“I had city staff get on the phone this morning, and Lawrence businesses and residents have really stepped up to the plate,” Highberger said at a Thursday afternoon news conference. “I’m really proud to be mayor of a city that is so generous and willing to help people in need.”

The effort’s organizers said that, depending on which part of the Gulf Coast the family comes from, it may stay in Lawrence for just a few weeks or up to four months.

“It would be a place for the children to get back into school right away, and it would be a place for the family to get back on their feet,” St. John said.

St. John said she hoped hundreds of other communities would hear what Lawrence is doing and follow its example.

“We haven’t had a disaster like this,” St. John said. “I don’t think ordinary means are going to be enough to deal with this. It will take extraordinary means.”

How you can help

Whether it’s selling lemonade on the street corner or sending donations to the American Red Cross, Lawrence residents are showing their generosity by contributing to hurricane-relief efforts.

The Douglas County Chapter of the American Red Cross is collecting donations locally and, as of Wednesday, had received $5,700. Peoples Bank also said it would donate $10,000 to the Red Cross and serve as a collection point.

People wanting to donate to the Red Cross can call 843-3550, bring it to the agency’s office at 2581 Ridge Court or go online to www.redcross.org. The agency can only accept cash donations, not items such as food, clothing or bottled water.

About 92 cents of each dollar goes directly to emergency-relief services, said Jane Blocher, the local chapter’s executive director.

The Salvation Army also is accepting donations. People wanting to donate using their credit card can call (800) SAL-ARMY or visit www.salvationarmyusa.org. Checks can be mailed locally to The Salvation Army, 3637 Broadway, Kansas City, Mo. 64111.