This Christmas season, one of our Katrina Aid Today case managers had a vision for our clients: a project called “Memphis Still Cares.” First, she sent out letters with return envelopes to every one of them, asking what they would like for Christmas. Then she set up a Christmas tree with paper ornaments in the shape of hurricanes at a church in Germantown, Tennessee. The display included pictures from Katrina, a map of the Gulf Coast, and pamphlets encouraging parishioners to adopt a Katrina evacuee. These pamphlets contained information such as clothing size, a wish list, and a personalized letter from a Katrina evacuee. In just three weeks, Memphis Still Cares collected gifts for 130 Katrina evacuees and delivered them in beautiful gift bags to the clients’ homes.
Submitted by Lauren Scott Thibault, Case Management Supervisor, Katrina Aid Today, Memphis Diocesan Council, Society of Saint Vincent de Paul