People have been calling and asking about replanting to replace the trees that were destroyed. They looked at what trees did well and which would hold up better next time.

So many of the people, organizations and businesses that are helping rebuild New Orleans and the Gulf were themselves victims of the disaster. Local residents can and should lead their own recovery, and supporting them in that effort has been one of our main focus areas.

It was definitely one of our primary communication devices after the hurricane. Many people had no Internet or electricity but had their cell phone or landline working. We would not just use it for anything. It's for emergencies and after emergencies. So please do not disregard it; we do not overuse the system.

We want residents to take the time and refresh the information, if it has changed. People's cell phone numbers tend to change or business phone numbers, and they may have changed jobs.

But high school is a better age to absorb what's going on there.

Many of the Comfort Kits we hand out contain friendly notes from Seattle students that bring smiles and sometimes tears to the faces of Gulf youth. It means a lot to the children to know that others care about them as they continue to process what happened.