Who Are The Austin 80?

I had the pleasure of attending barcamp in Austin this year, as denoted on my blog, located here. There was something that came out of the experience though that wasn’t focused on the tech industry, that wasn’t directed at the SXSW crowd, even though it was immersed amongst us. It was directed at all of us.

Even you. Whether you were there or not.

The situation in Burma has been getting out of control.
People are dying as they fight for peace. Some of the monks have been beaten, arrested, and killed. The Burmese Government has systematically been killing those who protest, even though they do so in peace. This has led to families fleeing the country into local, neighboring territories, mostly Thailand. If they make it, they end up in refugee camps. If they are lucky, the end up in the United States.
From a monks mouth, the situation.

The Austin 80 is a group of refugees who has ended up in Austin, there’s roughly 80 people and they need our help.

I met an incredible woman at barcamp, by the name of Elaine Allan. Mrs. Allan is a senior citizen, and is heading the charge to help get these people what they need. She is not asking for money as, outside of her incredible works in the world, she is not a registered charity organization. She’s a one woman charity organization, who needs support in delivering basic items of need to a group of people who need it most.

I met three of the refugees she had with her, they had kindness and sadness in their eyes. They were happy they were safe.
Now they need our help. Below, after the break, is a list of items that are needed along with Elaine’s Email to me. There’s also an address. It’s a long list and email, but please take the time to see if you can offer ANYTHING that’s needed.

We have a unique opportunity to help a small group of people that have been affected by this horrible tragedy. The tech industry has so much power at it’s disposable, so much influence. We’ve all got old computers lying around we’ll never use. We’ve all got clothing an aunt gave us we’ll never wear. All it takes is a little effort to help. If you live in the Austin area, Elaine can also use your help if you have the time, she’s a one person team. Get in touch with me if you’d like to work with her locally.
Please do what you can in helping these people move forward and heal.

Elaine’s Email, list and address at the bottom:

“Yes, there are about 81 people, all in one apartment complex on Rutland. There are also a few from the same “batch” from the refugee camp, who landed in a complex on Burton, which is off east Riverside Drive, but I don’t go there much and it is less than 20 people, including children. However, i have included their needs in this list you asked for. They are babies to elderly, and of Christian, Moslem, and Buddhist religion (the bulk are Christian).
No one has a car.
Most of them do not have a phone yet because of the expense, although some do.
NO ONE HAS A COMPUTER. If they had computers, just about any computers, they could communicate with their monk out on Hwy 71, and their refugee relatives in other countries. The kids could do their schoolwork, and the parents could do the ESL CDs I bring them from Half-Price Books, and the kids could do the learning games I have brought them against the day when they might have a computer. The kids cannot use the school computers before or after school easily at the middle or high school because they ride the bus, which gets them there just before school, and leaves right after school. IF I COULD GET THEM ANY ONE THING ON THIS WHOLE LIST, IT WOULD BE THIS.
In the group on Rutland, 37 are children under 18. None of the teenagers have a good calculator for school use. Imagine school nowadays without a calculator — I used one in high school in the 70’s (thte TI-40 — weren’t they a godsend??)!
Not everyone who needs a bike has one, and nobody has a bike patch repair kit or bike pump or tools to fix a flat.
There are several babies in diapers, which are very expensive and not covered by food stamps of course, and a lady due to deliver pretty soon. They don’t have proper carseats that I know of, and need infant and toddler. I know they don’t have cars, but when volunteers drive them, the baby has to be in a carseat.
Not everybody has socks or sufficient underwear because when I do clothing drives nobody gives these items — because they wouldn’t want to wear someone else’s!
The new people need umbrellas because they walk or ride the bus everywhere.
They need spoons, ricecookers, coffeemakers, mugs, and kitchen towels. They also need dishwashing liquid and laundry soap, bar soap, shampoo, and maybe some conditioner. And they need skin lotion if possible because they are used to living in a warmer, moister environment (I know, here are some folks who will like Austin’s summers!)
Not everybody has a toothbrush. I know in one family they share one. Others don’t have any now. Not everyone has a brush or comb, and some of the ladies and girls would like something to hold their straight black hair away from their face (like barrettes or ponytail holders or scrunchies or clips) but they are so expensive.
I have been taking them books every week, courtesy of Half-Price Books, for a couple of months now, but nobody has a bookshelf that I have seen and so these are beginning to get in the way. The reason this is bad is because they tend to be picked up and piled with the other “junk” the children have strewn on the floor and piled somewhere, making them less accessible and appealing for the next time. If anyone has any old bookshelves, telephone standa, bedside stands with a shelf, magazine rack — anything whch would help keep the books out and in easy sight and reach — I hope I can get it to them. Needless to say, the kids who look at their books the most are coming along the best in English.
Some of the apartments can use some more light, such as from a floor lamp, because a floor lamp doesn’t need to have an existing piece of furniture to be set upon.
None of the rest require any comment and I will try my best guess at the number needed to help out both the large group I see many times a week and the few at the south location. Well, okay, one comment, I have been inside each home many times and I know who is sharing bath towels, who has no toothbrushes, who is pregnant, etc.:

pitchers(8)
cookiesheets(6)
cutting boards(12)
very sharp knives for dicing(32)
bowls(40)
sponges(64)
rice(unlimited, they eat it 3 meals/day)
small mixing bowls(20)
medium mixing bowls(20)
large mixing bowls(20)
plates (200, no need to match the design)
cleaning brushes(35)
scouring powder(20)
manual can openers (20)
potholders (40)
teakettle(if one happens to come in, bring it, but don’t go buy — I know who drinks tea)

bath towels(80)
hand towels(40)
washcloths(80)
bathmats(14)
soap dishes(5)
toothbrushes(200)
toothbrush holders(12)
toilet brush set(20)
bathroom trashcans(8)
all-purpose cleaner(Lysol, Pine-sol, etc.)(20)
shower curtain liners(3)
small baby diapers(under 10 lbs.)
large baby diapers(20+ lbs.)
toothpaste(20)

pencils(many)
pens(dozens)
scissors, adult(12)
manual pencil sharpeners(8)
soccer ball, size 4*
soccer ball, size 5*
American football, small*
American football, full-size*
basketball, full-size*
tennis shoes, all sizesclothing infant - age 18, girl and boy
educational toys, birth-toddler (they have a couple already)
bicycles, teenage/youth(4)

irons(2)(most of them were lucky to receive irons a short while ago!!)
ironing board, probably small is best(5)
coffee tables(3)
end tables(3)
bicycles, adult(4)
bus passes
gift cards to Wal-mart
gift-cards to H-E-B
“Vietnamese”-style brooms from MT Supermarket (these are terrific, try one)(5)
mops(16)
buckets for use with mop(16)
vacuums(14)(they have never had to contend with carpet before and hate it!!)
telephones(10)
phone cards(10)

*NOT A NECESSARY — JUST FOR FUN

The address to ship stuff:
12411 Turtleback Lane
Austin, TX 78727

If you have specific questions for Elaine, you can contact her at: borntohelp@earthlink.net
But please do not spam her, she’s a senior citizen and can only manage so much.