Furniture Enroute

Wednesday, November 29, 2006 7:47 PM CST KEARNEY, Neb. -
A member of a Kearney church is trying to help residents of a Mississippi town who "are in desperate need of everything."
Theresa Hemenway, who attends the First Baptist Church in Kearney, has organized a furniture drive for the people of Waveland, Miss. They are still recovering from nature's assault by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005.
"I see the need. It's just total destruction down there," said Hemenway, who traveled to Waveland with five other members of her congregation earlier this month. They helped with reconstruction and a Thanksgiving dinner and returned to Kearney on Saturday.
New and used furniture is being sought, she said, including beds, couches, tables and chairs, mattresses, lamps and lamp stands. The residents also could use towels, rugs and bedding but are not ready for appliances such as refrigerators and stoves.
Donations were being taken at Kearney Moving Services, and Atlas Van Lines will take the items to Waveland at the end of next month.
The city of 6,674 sits on the Gulf coast about 35 miles east of New Orleans.
Katrina all but wiped Waveland off the map, and state officials said the city took a harder hit from the wind and water than any other town along the coast.
"It will never be back to normal there," Hemenway said. "It will be different, but they will come back."
Don't forget them down there," she said. "They are in desperate need of everything."
Information from: Kearney Hub, http://www.kearneyhub.com/