Since Labor Day weekend, Pickin’ Up the Pieces Relief Corps has delivered more than 13 tons of supplies to the Mississippi and Alabama Gulf Coast region through partnerships with several Savannah-area organizations, businesses and churches, and numerous individual donors.

Over Labor Day weekend, we delivered nearly 1 ton of supplies to Ocean Springs, Gulfport and Long Beach, Mississippi.  We also unloaded supply helicopters and worked a distribution line at West Gulfport H.S.

September 10-11, we delivered over 1 ½ tons of supplies to Pass Christian, Bay St. Louis and Waveland, Mississippi.  We made contacts at Camp Katrina in Waveland.

September 23-24, we delivered over 3 tons of frozen foods and general supply items to Bayou La Batre, Alabama and Camp Katrina.  We also delivered supplies to Camp Waveland, east of Pearlington, Mississippi.

October 7-8 took us north of the coast to Utica, Mississippi, where we delivered nearly 8 tons of supplies to Jacob’s Ladder, a Katrina relief project of the Union of Reform Judaism.  After unloading supplies there, we delivered about 1 ton of supplies to Pass Christian.

Pickin' Up the Pieces Relief Corps. is working in conjunction with Charles Ellis Montessori Academy, here in Savannah, to adopt two schools on the Gulf Coast that were completely destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Hancock County, Mississippi lost two of their schools, Charles B. Murphy Elementary in Pearlington, MS and Gulfview Elementary in Lakeshore, MS. Schools reopened in Hancock County Friday, October 14, 2005. Less than half of the students registered in the two schools returned for the first day.

Charles Ellis Montessori Academy in Savannah Georgia, with a student body of approximately 524, held a carnival in September. Charles Ellis teacher Ginny Nelson coordinated the effort with the help of other teachers and raised $1,900 for Katrina Relief. She wanted to do more that just hand the money over to a large relief organization. She wanted to make it more personal and meaningful for the students. Pickin' Up the Pieces has joined together with Charles Ellis to adopt the two Mississippi schools that now have a combined total of 263 students.