Locals devoted to providing Katrina relief

Green Valley resident organizes nonprofit to help hurricane victims

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After Hurricane Katrina ravaged the South, Green Valley resident Joelle Jarvis had a direct line to the destruction through her partner Scott Sullivan, a part-time Baton Rouge, La. resident.

Though Sullivan had a hard time getting phone calls through, he was able to keep in touch with Jarvis through text messages. One of those messages, sent days after the storm hit, spurred Jarvis to start collecting relief items, an effort that has grown into a full-blown nonprofit foundation over the past few weeks.

"The message said to send food, clothing and supplies," Jarvis said. "Scott has stayed down there to volunteer with relief efforts, so I've been sending items, and I'm collecting more to send.

"Scott's taking the things we send and putting them into the hands of people there that have nothing."

In order to notify people that she was collecting items and gathering as many donations as possible, Jarvis relied on word of mouth, starting the collection at the Warren Walker School, where her 6-year-old son Jackson is a first-grader. Jarvis, who co-owns the Ultimate Life Boot Camp Company with Sullivan, also started a nonprofit foundation called Ultimate Boot Camp Mission Rescue, dedicated to hurricane recovery efforts.

"I asked the school if they would help me collect items to send to Baton Rouge, and they were very supportive," Jarvis said. "The next day, Aug. 31, a flier went home with students telling parents about Mission Rescue, and on the first of September we started receiving donations. This has been a real grassroots effort, going mom to mom, kid to kid, dad to dad."

Because Sullivan's family owns Sullivan Oil, based in Baton Rouge, and he lives there part-time, he and Jarvis plan to continue their Rescue Mission for a minimum of three more months, and have broken it into three stages. The first will run through the end of this month, and during that time Jarvis will collect basic items, including food, clothing, water, diapers and baby formula.

The first two trucks full of supplies were sent to Louisiana to be distributed in and around the New Orleans area during the second week of September, and Jarvis and Sullivan will continue to send trucks as often as possible.

During the second stage of the effort, which will kick off in October, Jarvis will concentrate on collecting appliances, furniture and other housewares.

"By October, we're hoping that a lot of people will have started to find housing again, and start to get their lives back to normal," Jarvis said. "But even when they find a place to live, they still won't have anything at all, so we want to collect all those small appliances, furniture, dishes, bedding, towels and everything else that makes a house a home."

In December, Jarvis will start a push to collect toys and other items to be sent to Baton Rouge for Christmas.

She said in addition to the parents at Warren Walker, businesses and other community members have gotten involved and donated items. She stressed that Mission Rescue is only collecting goods -- no money will be accepted.

Jarvis' and Sullivan's efforts have already spread outside of the state. In addition to local groups, the duo has contacted a Rotary Club in Los Angeles, which has sent two 20-foot trucks' full of donated goods.

Jarvis said Mission Rescue has received a lot of clothes, but needs more food and water, diapers, formula and hygiene products. She also said area Pet Smart stores have donated pet food and supplies, and she hopes to gather more supplied for pets.

"People have cleaned out their closets and their cupboards, and local businesses have been so supportive," she said. "People have been incredible, and I think they really want to help but maybe they don't have money to give, or they want to make sure their contribution will go directly to hurricane victims."

Jarvis said she is hoping someone will be able to donate warehouse or storefront space that can be used to store goods as they are collected, and trucks to collect items from throughout the valley and transport freight to Louisiana.

"I think that people in this community have felt good donating goods and knowing they will go directly to people in need," she said. "We feel so lucky to be in a position to help people out. But it's important that people know this isn't a two or three week thing. It's going to take a couple of years."

Jarvis is accepting goods and seeking volunteers. For more information about Mission Rescue, call 544-1400.