South County Housing spearheads effort that will bring Katrina
victims to a home in Gilroy
Gilroy – When Elton Shalk headed out of New Orleans in his old Ford Escort, he left with a tank full of gas and $10 in his pocket.
The day was beautiful and quiet, he said.
“It’s a pretty peaceful place,” Shalk said by cell phone Tuesday from Jackson, Miss. “It’s nice and pretty and quiet, until later on when the hurricane starts moving.”
Shalk left his second-floor apartment in New Orleans Saturday, Aug. 27, bringing with him just his medication, medical papers and a few sets of clothes.
He drove as far as he could before he put in $10 worth of gas, knowing it wouldn’t get him as far as he needed to go. He stopped in Richland, Miss., where the workers at a Shell Gas station gave him enough fuel to get to the Broadmoor Shelter in Madison, Miss.
In the four weeks since the hurricane, Shalk hasn’t been back to his home in New Orleans and he said he will probably never see it again.
“From what I hear, it was pretty flooded out. There is no reason to go back,” Shalk said, with a slight Louisiana drawl. “I will start life all over again.”
Shalk, 51, will be starting life over when he moves to Gilroy later this week, with the help of the South County Housing Corporation. The non-profit organization will be working with the South County Collaborative and the American Red Cross in providing Shalk, and other evacuated families that follow, with the things they need to start over.
The United States Department of Agriculture requested that housing agencies that own or manage USDA-funded apartments set aside vacant units to house hurricane victims for six months, according to South County Housing Public Relations Manager Jack Foley.
“Hopefully within six months, they will have acclimated to the new community and be able to fend for themselves,” Foley said.
In addition to Shalk, a family of three is also expected to move to Gilroy, though Foley said they have not confirmed when the family will arrive.
South County Housing has established the “South County Housing Hurricane Relief Fund” at South Valley National Bank in Gilroy to collect cash or check donations.
“They need basics … everything from clothing to dishes to furniture,” Foley said. “It would sure be nice if we have some of this stuff in place when they get here.”
With the help of the Hilton San Jose, in downtown San Jose, South County Housing may get its wish. The human resources director of the Hilton contacted South County Housing Wednesday with potential donations.
“We have beds. We have everything,” Mary Quintanar said. “The basement [of the hotel] is full.”
The hotel has extra beds and linens from a recent renovation. They also collected everything from children’s books to personal hygiene products from the community that the hotel has not been able to give to a local Goodwill because the centers are full of donated items, said Quintanar.
“Everyone is waiting, wanting to do something,” Quintanar said.
In the meantime, Shalk will be selling the 1989 Ford that helped save his life so he can fly out to California in the next few days.
“I don’t think my car is going to make it so I have to give up my car,” Shalk said. “I plan to sell it for $300 to someone who needs it here.”
The hurricane victim is no stranger to starting his life over. Shalk suffered a stroke in 2000 that left him partially paralyzed, unable to walk or speak and unable to work. Before his stroke, he worked as a chauffeur and counted inventory for the University of New Orleans.
“I had to relearn how to walk and move my arms,” Shalk said. “It took me two years to learn how to speak a full sentence, a meaningful sentence.”
Shalk expressed no concerns about heading out along to California, though he will be leaving behind two sisters who have also been displaced by the Hurricane Katrina.
“From what I’ve heard about California, it is so beautiful,” he said. “People ask me all the time, ‘You know anybody there?’ and I say no, but Jesus is there, too. As long as he is there, it’s OK.”
Donations of furnishings, food or other goods will be accepted through South County Housing as well as monetary donations to the “South County Housing Hurricane Relief Fund.” To donate, contact Patty Pena at 842-9181.
