SEPTEMBER
11, 2005 --
The
aftermath of the flooding of New Orleans includes reports of
bureaucratic squabbles at various government levels. September
7, LPR learned of a software engineer, Hector Hoyos, who took
it on himself to send supplies to Louisiana.
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Hector
Hoyos, in the yellow shirt, who organized the relief
effort that assembled at Lincoln Center, 65th Street
near Broadway with the approval of Center officials.
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Driving
down Broadway, LPR noticed piles of boxes on the north side
of 65th Street, stopped and learned that this was a relief
effort organized by Mr. Hoyos.
Mr. Hoyos told LPR that he rented a truck and filled it with $10,000 worth
of supplies and, Sunday, September 4, brought it to the Red Cross. Told that
the Red Cross only accepts money donations, Mr. Hoyos then decided to get the
supplies to Baton Rouge himself.
He got the approval of Lincoln Center to use 65th Street just west of Broadway
-- between Avery Fisher Hall and Alice Tully Hall -- as staging area for his
trucks.
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Boxes
for Baton Rouge on 65th Street.
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Word got out about this relief effort, including reports on radio station WINS,
and people responded -- with clothing, toys, water, toiletries, pet food,
kitchen goods, among other things.
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Some
of the items sent to Louisiana "From NYC with
Love"
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16-year
old Shana liked the idea of pet food included in the
relief supplies.
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By
the afternoon of September 7, Mr. Hoyos had 17 trucks and 2
semi-rigs getting packed for the trip to Baton Rouge, next
day. He told LPR that he got a call from Larry Jones of Feed
the Children offering trucks.
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American
Family Drive sign on one of the trucks heading for
Baton Rouge (leaving 9-8)
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Former
firefighter in sunglasses who hoped to drive one of
the trucks.
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This convoy
of concern left Thursday morning on its 36- hour journey to Baton
Rouge and waiting termination points. A convoy established by
people, not bureaucracies. Beginning with the decision of one
person, Hector Hoyos, to take action, and the support of Lincoln
Center and a great many volunteers.
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Loading
line from ground level on September 7th.
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Loading
line from above.
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View
in front of Alice Tully Hall, from Broadway.
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View
looking towards 65th Street and Broadway on September
7th.
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65th
and Broadway on the afternoon of September 8 (with trucks
on their way).
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One of the photos
LPR took has the word "comforter" seen in the middle of
relief items. That indeed well describes Hector Hoyos and all the
people who assisted in his grass roots relief operation. The website
for Mr. Hoyos is www.Hoyosgroup.com.
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Comforter
among the bundles for Baton Rouge.
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LPR noticed several
men who wanted to sign up as volunteers to drive the trucks to Baton
Rouge. One of the men, a retired firefighter, pointed out that after
September 11, Louisiana sent a new fire truck to New York City --
and now this fire truck was being returned to be of service in New
Orleans.
Indications are that drop off points to aid the victims of Katrina have sprung
up across the country.
LPR noticed one such point in New Milford, CT, September 9. Rabbi Adam Starr
of the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale (NY) spoke, in his September 10 sermon of
his trip to Houston, serving as a volunteer, assisting flood evacuees, the past
week, and saying there was just one word to describe his experience: "inspiring."
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The
New Milford church drop off point.
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