1 of a Kind Jewelry Mall Commends Member On Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts

1 of a Kind Jewelry Mall commends one of their members, Jeff Simkins, for his hard work and dedication to the relief efforts of Hurricane Katrina Victims. His time spent in the deep south deserves to be rocognized as well as his artwork.

(PRWEB) October 13, 2005 -- 1 of a Kind Jewelry Mall is an E-commerce shopping mall that features hand crafted jewelry. All items are uniquely made by their members from various locations. Mall executives are proud their members and classify them as being truly “1 of a Kind” individuals. One such member is Jeff Simkins of Lexington, Kentucky.

Simkins started his artistic adventure when he was an early youth. He began by collecting and polishing rocks at his Grandma Wild’s request to keep him busy. She told him that he might turn the stones into something beautiful. He lost touch with his art while in his teenage years, not reviving it until he married his wife Amber in 1990. He currently enjoys working with silver, stainless steel, and super alloys. With the use of high technology he is capable of numerous ways to shape and form metals. He does, however want to return to the basics by using hammers and other hand tools.

With his art and being a Microelectronics Engineer, Jeff seems to keep a busy schedule. It’s certainly not the kind of schedule that allows being away for a week, but not to Jeff. He put his life on hold for the greater of man kind and his fellow American’s. Recently this artist traveled to the deep south to help in the relief efforts of Hurricane Katrina victims. He spent a week traveling from area to area passing out items such as water, food, clothing, and even pet food. Simkins was asked to recollect his mission. He wrote:

“It was the start of the third week after Hurricane Katrina. I have never been to Louisiana. I didn’t know what to expect. I relied on the other volunteers for information, and they didn’t have it either. A simple question like, “Is there gas where we are going?” couldn’t be answered until we got near Baton Rouge. We packed the vans and trailers with provisions for the relief effort, and then our own supplies so that we could be self sufficient.

The conditions at our destination in Gonzales, Louisiana were better than I expected. The people of Gonzales welcomed us with home cooked meals, and beds to sleep in. I stayed at the Hotel Hamilton, hosted by Liz Hamilton.

Our relief effort coordinator was Pastor Dick Knapp of the St. James Lutheran Church. Our job was to build and deliver pallets of food, water, clothing, cleaning supplies, and toiletries. Zapp's Potato Chips donated 10,000 square feet of warehouse floor, a truck, fork lift operators, and a loading dock.

We were a team of nine. We built 20 palettes Monday afternoon after a long drive from our overnight stay in Jackson, MS. On the second day, the team split up into three groups. I stayed with the team at the warehouse, while the other two groups went on scouting missions to make contact with the churches that still did not have phone service.

It was hot in that warehouse! We soaked our shirts in sweat several times over until you could plainly see the dried salt. Eugene and Mike never appeared to slow down at all. I found out later that both are runners, having also entered in triathlons. We built about 20 more palettes on that day with the help of more volunteers. We ran low on food provisions, so we emptied a 48 foot trailer filled at random with boxes of clothing and food. Each day of work was from 7AM to 7PM, with a delicious home cooked dinner waiting for us at the church. Jambalaya, Chicken Cordon Bleu, and Gumbo were on the menu at different evenings.

In the week that we were there, we delivered over 50 palettes of provisions to churches and relief centers in Baton Rouge, Gramercy, Kenner, Picayune, Waveland, Gulf Port, and Wiggins. As the word got out and the lines of communication were restored, the work load grew. Zapp’s provided a Penske truck with a hydraulic lift. We had enough truck bed to carry 12 palettes in a single run. We also used our trailer to make local deliveries, and one delivery into New Orleans with pet food for the Humane Society that was stationed there. The trip into New Orleans required passing two check points, of which the second we almost didn’t make it through. The officer saw the pet food in the back, and said “move it!” before the second officer caught up. It was the Lamar-Dixon shelter that provided the some of pet food and necessary contacts.

We made our last delivery in Wiggins, Mississippi on Friday evening. Three women came out nowhere and helped us unload the trailer. They didn’t stay any longer than necessary, hopped into their car, and drove away. They could carry more water than I could, and move a lot faster! This was the last day of our relief efforts before we headed home Friday night, and drove all day Saturday. We were beat. The intensity of active people, the disbelief of the storm’s destruction, and the heartache took its toll.”

Thousands of people have put their lives on hold to help in the after math of this tragedy. Jeff may have only been one person, but as 1 of a Kind Jewelry Mall puts it, “every person can help do their part and Jeff did enough for a lot more than one person. We are extremely proud of him and commend him in every way. He and the rest of our members truly make this mall, 1 of a Kind.

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