September 8, 2005

By Diane Chiddister

Yellow Springs groups, businesses and institutions have taken steps to aid the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Several villagers and a former resident who now lives in New Orleans have formed Katrina Overground Railroad Relief (KORR) to aid in the placement of people and families coming from the Gulf Coast region. Diana Dunn, Joan Chappelle, Ona Harshaw and Ellen Marie Lauricella are among those involved in the effort, which will operate out of Corner Books, which has donated its space on Dayton Street. The group plans to start a Web site, KORR.us, which will provide information and links to other organizations.

The group will accept donations for both short-term and long-term relief and is also looking for local residents who can offer temporary housing to Gulf Coast evacuees, Dunn said. Forms are available for those who can offer temporary or long-term housing or jobs. The group also needs volunteers to staff the telephones. Interested persons should contact Dunn at the group’s temporary phone, 767-7056.

Central Chapel AME Church is serving as a drop-off site for items to be donated to hurricane victims. The following items may be dropped off between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.: bottled water; cleaning chemicals, brooms and mops; paper products; personal hygiene items; medical supplies; baby needs, including diapers, wipes, bottles and formula; tarps; duct tape and rope; work gloves; tools, including hammers, nails, saws, shovels and rakes; and linens. Cash donations may also be made.

The church needs volunteers to box donations and send them to the proper places. Those who wish to volunteer should call 767-3061.

At Mills Lawn School, children are making donations to the victims by dropping coins and bills into jars placed around the school, Principal Christine Hatton said. The school is also accepting cash donations from the public. All donations will go to the American Red Cross. The last day to make donations is Friday, Sept. 9.

Antioch College and Antioch University are opening their doors to any college students who are displaced by the hurricane, according to Lynda Sirk, the director of communications. College tuition would be paid to students’ home institutions, and Antioch would only receive room and board, she said. Although the applications process is officially closed for this school year, “We’re saying, ‘just come,’ ” Sirk said.

Interested persons should call Michael Thorp, the director of admissions, at 769-1100.

A group of local children held a bake sale on Labor Day, and parlayed their chocolate chip cookies, brownies and cupcakes into $188.80, which will be donated to relief efforts. The children were Porter and Hollister Fitch, Adam Zaremsky, Elliot Cromer, Lois and Kelly Miller, Isaac Haller, Hannah Brown, and Lilli, Melanie and Eric Rudolf. The children’s moms were also instrumental in the baking effort.

Ye Olde Trail Tavern joined the relief effort and raised more than $3,500 by offering a special Cajun menu over the Labor Day weekend, according to owner Cathy Christian. The proceeds were donated to the Red Cross.

Christian said she felt moved to join the relief effort after seeing TV images of the Gulf Coast devastation last Tuesday.

“You feel helpless,” she said. “I had to do something.”

Christian herself donated $500 to buy the food for the special menu, which brought in about $2,500 over the weekend. Another $1,000 was raised from donations people made while at the Tavern, she said.

“Everybody was wonderful,” she said. “They wanted to give.”