Gestures of Kindness Comfort Katrina's Victims

Sept. 1, 2005 — -- Some homes are filling up in states surrounding Louisiana, as relieved relatives seek shelter with their families after enduring long treks out of New Orleans.

After driving for 20 hours, one family made it from the flooded St. Bernard Parish neighborhood to their relatives in Ooltewah, Tenn. Now there are 12 people crammed into the home, six other family members in a house up the street, and a baby on the way.

"It's just so overwhelming," said family member Samantha Trosclair. She is eight months pregnant, and is on Medicaid and doesn't yet know if she will be able to get the medical attention and prescriptions she needs while she's displaced. But she said she is relieved to have a welcoming place to stay.

"I'm just glad that I can be here with my parents and my family," Trosclair said. "I know I have a lot of help here."

Another family's inability to fully help its relatives led to a generous offer from someone else in the community. The 21 members of one New Orleans family made it to their relatives' home in Indianapolis -- but when they arrived, their host, Anderson Cavilear, could not fit them all in his townhouse.

After a local ABC News affiliate, WRTV-TV, aired a report about the situation, another resident immediately wrote a $500 check to the family.

"I can imagine how all these people are feeling," said donor Ethel Britton. "My heart goes out, because it brought tears to my eyes. I feel like if I could do anything at all, this is the way I want to do it."

To express his family's gratitude, Cavilear kissed the checks when they were provided, because the donor was not there for him to kiss.

"My family has traveled over 880 miles to come to receive this kind of comfort and this kind of help," Cavilear said. "Thank you very, very much and we appreciate it deeply."

His sister, Shirl Francis, said the family is "completely ecstatic."

"Just to think that people care that much to give us a helping hand," said Francis.