Houston
Regional Amber Plan
Texas Center for the Missing administers the
Houston Regional Amber Plan.
See www.amber-plan.net
or click here for
more information.
SETSARA
Texas Center for the Missing sponsors the Southeast Texas SAR Alliance
A coalition of missing children's organizations, volunteer search and rescue
groups, and law enforcement partners.
See www.saralliance.org
or click here for
more information.
Priority
At
Texas Center for the Missing, our priority is keeping
kids safe. To assist in the prevention and also in the location
of missing kids. and the aftercare for families of the missing. Click
here for more info about our services.
Annual
Fundraiser
A
Champagne Brunch - our primary
fundraising event is held each Spring
at Crapitto's Italian Cucina. Please
join us. See the Calendar for
this year's event.
TEXAS
CENTER FOR THE MISSING formerly
known as
Gabriel's Gifts Missing Children's Organization
Offering help & hope to the missing & their families.
Mission to Sri Lanka
BETH'S COMMENTS AND PHOTO JOURNAL
** Departure
Delayed **
Monday, January 17th, 2005
Mission
to Sri Lanka
BETH'S COMMENTS AND PHOTO JOURNAL
Monday Morning,
January 17, 2005
The morning has been spent in last minute preparation
- trying not to forget anything. It's not like
I'll be able to run to the corner market for supplies.
We leave today at 3:00 p.m. and I have just found
out that our flight is being piloted and co-piloted
by a couple of NASA's Shuttle Astronauts! We will
stop in Jacksonville, FL to pick up additional
medical supplies and then are on our way! The flight
is expected to take around 24 hours so we will
land there around 3:00 p.m., Houston-time, but
it will be 3:00 a.m. in Sri Lanka. I do not know
how this will effect me but I generally have no
trouble sleeping.
I am nervous about going to a new country but so
many things have had to come together to make this
possible that I know it was meant to be. During
all of my years of volunteering and my 25 years
of non-profit work experience, I have not had the
opportunity to be involved in anything even remotely
resembling this disaster. I hope my work there
can help in some small way.
**
Departure Delayed **
Monday Evening
Monday
Evening, January 17, 2005
I am still in Houston at a time I thought I
would be flying over the ocean! Due to the
MLK holiday
we ran into a snag on some our travel documents
so we are staying home an extra day. It will
give me one last chance to take care of anything
I've missed, but I'm disappointed not to have
left today.
The delay has had an upside though. Even more
medical supplies continue to pour in so instead
of $40 million in supplies we are now going to
take $100+ million in supplies with us. These
supplies are crucial to keeping the survivors
alive so I am heartened about our ability to
get these extra supplies to the affected areas
sooner. More medical staff have joined our trip
as well so maybe the delay is all part of the
plan. Our volunteer count is up to 83 warm, helping
bodies. Global Peace Initiatives is still trying
to raise funds for fuel. It is a never-ending
battle for them. The amazing thing is that for
$200,000 in fuel costs, we will be delivering
fifty times that in supplies and, of course,
thousands of volunteer hours.
