Deb and Mamadou Diallo Deliver
LifeNets Shipment to New York City
November 16, 2001
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More Photos of the Delivery to New York City
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You can see a listing of all the items delivered by clicking here.
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Bend, Oregon Fall Festival Collection of $1,771.11 between October 1-9
We
would like to share with you some photos of Deb and
Mamadou Diallo's delivery of more than five tons of goods
to Manhattan. Much of
the load was unloaded at the Javits Center on 34th Street by midday September
22nd. The items
intended for workers on site were available immediately.
Other items were taken to a collection point on Long Island. Deb Diallo is
Assistant Director of International Affairs at Butler University.
We thank Mamadou and Deb Diallo along with Craig Bachellier and Assemblages employees for making this happen.
In her own words, Deb describes her and Mamadou's experience.
"This is Deb from Indianapolis. I just wanted to get in touch with you and give you a little update about our trip this weekend so that you can pass it along. Actually a good place to start is Vic's home website, www.kubik.org. The Manhattan Project update links to pictures, etc. We have even more pictures being developed right now.
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"The trip went very well. My husband and I left on Friday, and drove all day, arriving in the city late Friday night. We have family and friends in Harlem, and so we went there to stay. We contacted Craig Bachellier, our New York connection, and he arranged for us to meet him at noon at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. The Center, at 34th St. and 11th Ave just below Midtown was initially used as a morgue for the bodies recovered at the WTC. Then it became a gathering place for donations, volunteers, firemen and policemen, etc.
"When we arrived, we met a police line, but the officers were very welcoming, and helped us situate the truck for unloading. Officer Funch took a look at the list and told us what they needed there. They gladly accepted rain gear, boots, saline, soup and hard hats. Officer Funch thanked us profusely and said he wished he could "kiss ya's and hug ya's" for coming all the way with all the stuff...he wanted to accept it all there, but the State had stepped in and they were directing donated goods to other locations.
"The best thing about the Javits Center was that we could see our supplies going directly where they were needed. The soup we carried and placed right next to the women under a tent who were busily cooking lunch for the officers and firemen as they trudged to the Center on a break from the site. They would come and get supplies there, so if they needed saline or rain gear, our stuff was there. They gladly accepted the American Flag from the girl scout troop, and the letters from the kids and displayed them outside the tent.
"Officer Funch gave us a list of other donation centers. The best option was a large warehouse in Long Island where they were collecting relief items and re-packaging them to be taken directly where they will be needed in the coming weeks. We met up with a National Guard contingent there who were helping unload similar trucks.
"The only time we were stopped and inspected was going into Long Island and coming back out of Long Island. At the warehouse there, the National Guard members helped us unload and showed us the entire operation. Seconds after our cargo was unloaded, it was separated out into groups of items needed immediately and prepared for shipment.
"The amount of thanks we received was overwhelming and I just want to pass that on to everyone there who helped collect the supplies, box them up, organize them, and load them onto the truck. "
Deborah McKee Diallo
Asistant Director International Affairs
4600 Sunset Ave.
Indianapolis, IN 46208
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