Katrina heads toward Oregon

Katrina heads toward Oregon:
Katrina heads toward Oregon
After hurricane victims arrive in Portland and find food, shelter and love, they'll need help rebuilding their lives
Tuesday, September 06, 2005

Colleen Mendola scrubbed the walls. Her friend Linda Barrera cleaned the chalkboards. Together, the two women spent Labor Day turning the former Washington-Monroe High School in Southeast Portland into a shelter for up to 1,000 refugees from Hurricane Katrina.

When asked if they were Red Cross volunteers, Mendola smiled and said, 'Now we are.'

That attitude may have to last until Christmas or longer. Months after Hurricane Katrina retreats from the headlines, displaced families will still need food, housing, clothing, schooling, jobs and medical care. Oregonians can help by embracing their new neighbors and helping them regain stability and long-term independence."