Posted: September 6, 2005
The Lloyd Coffey family spent six days huddled together in the New Orleans
Super Dome fighting for survival, displaced from friends, family and work,
knowing their community, their possessions, their City, was gone. “We saw
things you just don’t ever want to see in your lifetime,” said Mr. Coffey.
“All I could think of was that I needed to be strong, to keep my family
safe.”
Enjoying the warm Texas sun
at a Plano evacuee shelter on Sunday, September 4, Lloyd was able to finally
breathe a sigh of relief. Next to him his partner, Shiphrah bounced their
3-month old son Shaybah on her knee, a smiling happy infant who had come
through the tragedy thanks to the determination of his parents to ensure his
survival.
“We were some of the lucky
ones,” said Lloyd, who wanted to tell his story to the media and say a thank
you to Plano. “We managed to get some food and water now and then, but our
main concern was for our son. We tried to keep away from the trouble areas
and to keep him fed. We waited and we waited and we waited some more. The
response was just so slow.”
Lloyd and his family were
but a few of the evacuees who had found shelter in Plano, at one of the
three faith-based shelters opened in response to Hurricane Katrina
evacuation efforts, in co-operation with the City.
Acting on behalf of the
Mayor, who was out of town, Mayor Pro Tem Ken Lambert and his wife traveled
to Plano’s three shelters on Sunday to formally welcome the evacuees into
their new home of Plano, and to express appreciation to the countless
volunteers who worked to make their transition a good one.
“The people of Plano have
shown their concern and commitment to helping the persons affected by this
tragedy start on the road to a new and brighter future,” he said. “After
all they’ve been through, the optimism expressed by the persons I’ve met
today, is just incredible and their appreciation to our community is so
apparent.”
“I haven’t lifted a finger
since I’ve been here,” said a smiling Shiphrah. “Any time I reach my hand
out to get something, someone runs out and sticks something in it. Everyone
has been so wonderful to us and we have felt so welcomed here.”
She laughed as she talked
about her infant son. “I haven’t had to change a diaper or fill up a baby
bottle since I’ve been here. I don’t think he’s been out of someone’s arms
since we arrived.”
After sitting and trying to
sleep in chairs for six days before they were evacuated, Lloyd said just
being able to shower and lay down to sleep with a pillow meant everything.
“The response of the Plano
community to this tragedy can’t be measured,” said Mayor Pro Tem Lambert,
pictured above with the Coffey family. “We will continue as a City and a
community to ensure everyone is given every opportunity possible to make the
transition back into as normal a life as possible. I hope some of these
folks will think of Plano now as their permanent home. We would be proud to
have them as citizens.”
Upon Mayor Evans return
Monday afternoon, her first course of action was to also visit the shelters
expressing a warm Texas welcome to the evacuees and appreciation for the
work of the volunteers and community in support of our new residents.