The cycling volunteer from Colorado has reached Baton Rouge where she's awaiting a ride to hurricane-devastated Pearlington, Mississippi. Pearlington is a small river town that's been all but ignored by federal relief agencies.
Helen Roberts left Aspen in mid-September on her Cannondale, pulling a trailer with 50 pounds of gear. She says that, after topping a 12,000-foot mountain pass, her trip has been largely uneventful except for frequent headwinds.
Pearlington (map) was adopted by a Colorado town near where she lives. As she tells it in this morning's email:
“It was thought that a combined effort, of all the local communities, to one stricken town, would be the best way. So, Pearlington it is. I've talked with several people who have been there, and others who are still there. This will be a safe place for me to help out, but also a needy place.
“The town was flattened, and FEMA forgot about it (shock/horror). I will live in the only buliding left standing, the brick school. From what I can gather, this is the headquarters for relief. The volunteers live there, barracks style. Food is prepared and distributed from here, also Admin, First Aid etc etc.
“I might have some of this wrong, but I am sure that it is where I will be living for the next 3 weeks.
“… I am thinking that the bike ride here, was the easy part of this journey. People are most certainly more stressed out now, than before. The devastation of their ruined lives has slowly and very surely sunken in. It is quite awful. They are in such need.”
Helen has a website, The Heart Ride. Look for directions for email and donations there.
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