Building Bridges -- Family to Family

Getting Started

 

Before you “adopt” a family

 

A number of Building Bridges volunteers visited Port Sulphur and returned with a much better understanding of the people of that community.  If you are interested in connecting with a Port Sulphur family, we ask that you take the following steps first, so you will better understand the families’ situations and the commitment that you will be making.  (If you do not have Internet access, simply contact one of us by phone, and we will provide the same information through another means.)

 

-                     Visit our website and follow the links to other websites with information about the Port Sulphur area and the effect that Hurricanes Katrina and Rita have had on the area and its people. 

-                     Our website also includes a slide presentation that was created by the Portland residents who traveled there in January.  Please review that presentation.

-                     Contact us to make an appointment to talk with one of the Portland residents who traveled to Port Sulphur.

 

Making contact—suggested first steps once your adoption request is finalized

 

The people of Port Sulphur have received assistance from a number of places.  But they took notice of the Building Bridges plan because we took the time to travel to Louisiana, see the situation with our own eyes, and—most importantly—offer our hands, hugs, and hearts to the people.

 

To help your new Port Sulphur family, you must first know their hearts.  You must listen—to their stories, to their worries, to their fears, to their joys; to their hopes . . .  Only then will you begin to understand what you can do to help.  The people of Port Sulphur already have opportunities to obtain some of the things that they need—water, temporary housing, food, etc.  Many needs are unmet, but only they can tell you what those needs are:  is it a warm coat for a child or a shoulder to cry on . . . is it a saucepan that will fit the stove in their FEMA trailer or help in tracking down other friends and family . . . is it a suit of clothing or a new friend to brighten their spirits?

 

When you receive contact information for your new family, we suggest the following steps:

 

-                     Call them immediately and introduce yourself (or write a letter if no phone number is available);

-                     Get to know your family—maybe share a little bit about yourself, but mainly, listen;

-                     Ask about more than the hurricanes, but be willing to listen to the stories of devastation and loss, along with the stories of survival and miracles;

-                     Decide when you’ll talk again—share contact information, and establish a regular line of communication;

-                     Tell your family that they will soon receive a box of supplies—ask if there are any small items that they need immediately but cannot easily get;

-                     Provide the Building Bridges group with letters, photos, or any other small items that you would like to send with the first care package;

-                     Be a good family.