Aurora – In their first full day in Colorado, an estimated 160 Hurricane Katrina evacuees were greatly outnumbered by hundreds of aid workers and volunteers at the old Lowry Air Force Base.
The evacuees relaxed in dorm rooms of the Community College of Denver at Lowry, eating donated meals and even getting a trip to Wal-Mart with a free $25 gift card.
“This is wonderful,” said Reginald Thibodeux, 41, an evacuee on the flight from New Orleans that landed Sunday in Colorado. “I just thank God I got a roof over my head. I’m thinking of staying.”
By Monday, about 200 survivors had registered in Colorado as emergency evacuees to get federal aid, but about 40 chose not to be housed at Lowry, according to Aurora officials.
No more planes came Monday, but Gov. Bill Owens said the state expects “another 400 to 600 people, though it could be a four- to five-day process.”
Also on Monday, Federal Emergency Management Agency officials announced disaster aid was available to Colorado to supplement its efforts to help evacuees. The announcement was in the wake of an emergency declaration by President Bush that simplifies procedures governments must follow for awarding grants.
At Lowry, the Salvation Army served 1,500 meals. Throughout the day, more volunteers arrived by the minute – so many that authorities turned away many of them. One was Kris Edwards of Bennett.
“It’s too emotional for me to sit and watch TV and not do something,” she said. “But they have more volunteers than they need. Thank God for that.”
Tania Fendel of Arvada arrived at the former base with a laundry basket full of clothes, toys and board games for evacuees. Many others brought boxes of clothing and other goods.
Officials have requested people instead to make donations to the Salvation Army, American Red Cross or United Way. Those organizations were busy Monday.
The Mile High Chapter of the American Red Cross fielded more than 6,000 phone calls offering help, including more than 40 organizations offering to help raise money.
At Mile High United Way, 1,500 callers offered everything from cookies to free apartments for evacuees. Teachers offered tutoring, nurses offered to help the sick, counselors offered to console the grieving, and arcades and amusement parks offered free entertainment. One man offered his bus to move supplies and people.
“Right now the needs of the evacuees are being met,” said Caryn Gracey Jones, spokeswoman for the United Way chapter. “What they really need now is rest, before we inundate them with our welcomes.”
At Lowry, evacuees told their tales of horror, loss and remarkable endurance.
Bobby Youngblood, 63, is happy to be out of New Orleans but worried about finding his family. His wife and three children were picked up by a helicopter from a school roof where they had sought shelter. It was two more days before rescuers returned for him. He thinks his family is in Houston. Sunday, he boarded a plane he thought was flying to Texas.
“When they said they were going to Colorado, I was devastated,” Youngblood said. “I can’t eat anything. I’m worried sick.”
Giselle Apav, 15, escaped with her mother and four brothers and sisters. They spent nights in the city’s convention center, took shelter on a highway bridge and hid from gun battles.
“It’s just amazing that we got through it,” she said. “We’re planning on staying in Denver. New Orleans is all flooded. We want to stay.”
Alabaman Chris McBay, who fled with his family before the storm destroyed their trailer home, has already found work as an apprentice electrician. He and his wife plan to relocate.
“We’ve had five storms in a year,” McBay said. “We’re tired of having our stuff destroyed by hurricanes.
“We’ve been here a week and have more friends than I can count on two hands,” he added. “It touches the heart.”
Staff writers Joey Bunch and Theo Stein contributed to this report.
Staff writer Jeremy Meyer may be reached at 303-820-1175 or jpmeyer@denverpost.com.
