By Lori EhdeA Hurricane Katrina evacuee and her children arrived in Luverne Wednesday as adopted members of the community.Working through the Rock County Ministerial Association, a small group of local residents applied through the Foundation For Hope to provide temporary housing for a hurricane-displaced family.Kimberly Jones and her three children, Darion, Jordan and India, applied for help through Foundation, which partners with the Red Cross and others to connect evacuees with temporary housing.The Foundation matched them with Luverne’s offer, and members of the local Katrina Relief Group have been busy getting ready."This family belongs to all of us," Rev. Judi Wiley wrote in an e-mail to the group and community members. "Luverne opens its heart and doors very easily and you can be a special part of the welcome for the Jones family. … They are very excited to come here and we will be blessed by the ministry we do for them."The Joneses are staying in a home on Jackson Street owned by First Baptist Church, which has agreed to waive rent for 90 days."Cheryl Thacker has been working endless hours to get the house ready so Kimberly will feel welcome," Wiley continued in the e-mail.Thacker agreed it’s been a busy couple of weeks, but she said many people have donated time, household items and more to the project."It’s kind of like our own fun little game of ‘Extreme Home Makeover,'" Thacker said. "The Christmas tree is up, the lights are on, and the boxes of ornaments are nearby ready for them to hang."The tree and most everything else in the house was donated and moved in by volunteers. Even getting the family here was a group effort. For example, Jim and Frances Veldkamp donated a van to be used for the trip, and Harold and Nancy Ver Steeg drove south to pick up the Jones family.Some donated living essentials were on hand several weeks ago when a different family was poised to come to Luverne through the Foundation, but other last-minute plans developed for those individuals.Meanwhile, the Katrina Relief Group held on to items donated by the community in hopes of still adopting another family.Less than two weeks later, the Foundation matched the Jones family with Luverne’s offer.While the Jackson Street house has been generously furnished, the following items are still needed:oCake pan and cookie sheet and a small mixer oKitchen rugs, preferably in country blue. oSilk or live plants oGroceries for the pantry,oPaper supplies such as Kleenex, toilet paper and paper towels,oCleaning supplies like dishwasher detergent and dish soap. oWinter clothes for Kimberly and the children. Darion wears size 10-12 boys, Jordan 7-8 boys and India size 6x girls. oToys, children's books and movies are needed. (favorites are Star Wars for the boys and Barney, Dora the Explorer and The Wiggles for India)."We also desperately need a vehicle for Kimberley's use," Thacker said. "It doesn’t need to be fancy, just reliable."To donate, call Wiley (227-9258) or Thacker (283-3674).Thacker said above all, cash gifts are urgently needed. "I sometimes panic when I think about three months of utilities that will need to be paid," Thacker said. "But so far everything else has come together, and I believe that will, too."An account has been opened at First Farmers and Merchants Bank, and people can donate to the "Psalm 121 Project." Psalm 121 reads, "Whatever you do for the least of the brothers, so you do it to me."Luverne Katrina Relief Committee members Wiley and LaDonna Van Aartsen are authorized account managers for the donations.The Foundation For Hope has also matched Edgerton with an adopted hurricane-displaced family.The adoptions through the Foundation are intended to be temporary — about three to six months, until the families are able to function on their own in their new towns or return South to rebuild.
