My
guest today is India Mussell-McKay. Welcome to OpEdNews. I understand you have
something different planned for your upcoming vacation. Can you tell us
something about it?
with mom
Hey,
Joan! Yes, actually this year's family vacation is going to be quite different
than years past. We are heading to Joplin, Missouri to help with debris clean
up and to work with families affected by the tornado that hit on May 22nd. This
tragedy was the deadliest single tornado in 60 years, killing 155 people,
leaving 5,000 people homeless, and destroying over 30% of the city. A friend of
mine, Jamey Johnston, went down in June, and after reading his journals and
seeing the pictures of how devastated the area was, I knew I wanted to get
involved. I shared my interest in going down with my family and next thing I
knew, it turned into a family project. I'm excited to be going down with my
mom, dad, 17 year old brother, my cousin, and my friend Jamey, who is returning
to Joplin for a second time.
[There are copies of his journals and pictures on www.helpushelpjoplin.org]
Good
for you! Tell us more, India. How long will you go for? Is there anyplace to
stay while you're down there?
We are
going down to Joplin on July 5th and coming back to Chicago on the 9th.
Luckily, Jamey had booked a room in advance because, right now, most of the
hotels in the area are filled up with displaced families who are waiting for
FEMA trailers or have nowhere else to go. Other families who have been
displaced are staying on cots in the gymnasiums of the schools that weren't
destroyed in the tornado.
Your
mom mentioned that you're collecting stuff to take down with you. What do
people most need?
Most of
the things people still need down there are gas cards, new bedding, kids' books
and toys, kitchen accessories like dishware, pots and pans, small appliances,
things of that nature. That's another reason we are taking money donations, so
the larger items that would be too hard to transport we can still purchase down
in Joplin to give to the families in need.
Does
your family often do this kind of working vacation? How did you enlist them for
your project?
This is
actually the first trip of its kind that our family is doing. I just got so
inspired seeing Jamey and his friend Erin's work in Joplin, and knew I had to
do something. I am that girl who always watched Extreme Makeover Home Edition
(usually with my mom), and wished we could be a part of something like that.
Being able to help people so directly and really make an impact on someone's
life is something I think is an extremely valuable experience. We are just
excited to be able to help in any way possible.
What
do you do when you're not heading off to do good, India?
I am a 22
year old interior design student, at Harrington College of Design. I also
waitress at the Celtic Knot Pub in Evanston, which my parents are partners at.
When I am not working, I like to spend time with my friends, enjoy exploring
the city, go to concerts, and do Zumba (a Latin hip hop infused aerobic dance
class).
This
photo [below] was the last family vacation we took together to Denver Colorado
to visit my mom's best friend Jamie. We drove there and it took 16 hours!
Luckily the 10 hour drive to Joplin isn't quite as long!!
Your
mom made an announcement at Zumba last week about your upcoming trip. Have you
always been so involved in community service, India?
When I was a lot younger, I remember going to a soup
kitchen and helping out once or twice, and last month, I started training to
volunteer at PAWS animal shelter in Lincoln Park. But honestly I haven't been
extremely involved in the past. This was just one of those causes that jumped
out at me, and really struck a chord. I hope after this Joplin trip that I
might be able to dedicate more of my time to causes that really need it because
in this day an age, there are so many ways that we as individuals can all help
and make a difference!
You are so right! You and Jamey set up a
website to tell about what's going on down there and to encourage people to
pitch in. What kind of response are you getting?
Jamey and
I set up the website so we could have somewhere to share all this information
with everyone. It's also the platform for our donation website. Friends,
family, and customers alike have all been very supportive. From donations of
bedding and shoes and small appliances, to raising over $1600 for Joplin. It's
also my hope that as I document our trip and post it to the website, people can
follow our journey and see really where all the hard work and donations are
going to.
Thanks so much for talking with me, India. Have a great time; we'll
follow your trip with great interest!
***
Check out India's website, Help Us, Help Joplin!
