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Ohio Teen Helps Emergency Responders
Published 09/27/05 houma.com
Reprinted with permission

“What can I do?” was the question that was posed to Tom Hobart from his 15-year-old daughter Ashley. The question came after the Applecreek, Ohio teenager sat in front of her television set weeping as she watched the widespread devastation of not just a community…an entire region.

It was the raw footage of rescues, desperation and even hope of what Hurricane Katrina did that brought the future attorney to do something her father said was not out of the ordinary for her.

She knew she was capable of doing something. After all, at the ripe age of 10, she had raised $769 out of $800 for a bullet-proof vest for a police dog.

So with phone in hand, Ashley simply picked up the phone and called A & R Transport, the employer of her truck-driving father and said, “You're going to donate the truck so my dad can drive donations for those in need…and if you don't I'm going to call your mother!” From that point on, it was non-stop.

It was certainly not a problem in collecting, but where were the donations going to go, and who would they go to? At that time, Ashley's mom, Michele – a House Arrest Supervisor, stepped in. She worked with Lynne Feller to coordinate a donation drive with 911 Cares – an international 911 industry organization based out of California.

Lisa Miller and Kevin Willet coordinated the rest of the details, and Tom would soon be on his way to Houma, Louisiana. The receiving group: emergency responders/telecommunicators from the effected areas.

So while Ashley and her friends were busy on the phone simply asking for items and cash for fuel, 911 Cares was in contact with 911 Director for Terrebonne Parish Mark Boudreaux and 911 Administrator for Lafourche Parish Katie Zeringue.

The two have been waiting eagerly for the arrival of the 50,210 lbs. of food, clothing, baby items, dog and cat food, cleaning supplies, bibles, blankets and even paint and painting supplies for rebuilding, which arrived this week. Marine Systems donated the forklift and fuel and United Supply donated the pallet jack to unload the items. Also on hand were trustees from the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's Office, who incidentally have been displaced from Hurricane Rita due to flooding of the Ashland facility.

Normally a two-and-a-half-day trip, Tom made it in under 20 hours. That was in thanks to the lifting of driving restrictions for relief transporters. (weigh-ins, etc.) In fact, during the drive was in the height of Hurricane Rita. Tom said they told him if he could not get to Houma, they could direct him to another location. Tom's answer: “I'm going to Houma.”

One donation that was simply left in the middle of the night was eight handmade blankets from the Amish community. Tom said he was under strict orders from Ashley not to leave until Mark and Katie each chose a blanket.

Katie said the other six will be raffled off and the money raised will go into a relief fund for displaced emergency responders/telecommunicators. All emergency responders/telecommunicators are eligible for the raffle. For more information, call 985-580-0911.

Also in the mounds of donated items were letters written by students from the Applecreek area. Tom said to read the letters really breaks your heart. The letters of inspiration are addressed to volunteers, First Responders, Red Cross, 4th Graders, High School and College Student, and more.

Katie said she would like to make copies of the letters and distribute to all those they are addressed to.

Who is eligible?

Emergency respondes/telecommunicators who are in need of items must visit www.nena.org/lanena/.

They will have to complete a form. Katie said the form will then be reviewed and they will then be contacted to receive donations based on certain criteria – need, family size, etc.

The local 911 groups are also collecting cash donations for those workers displaced by either Katrina or Rita. Donations can be mailed to NENA Disaster Relief Fund, P.O. Box 82236, Lafayette, LA 70598

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