It is very likely that we will never know how much we have lost because of the biblical disaster caused to Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama by the hurricane Katrina. There are some people that say that probably only in New Orleans the death toll should be around ten thousand people. Several billion dollars is going to be the cost of the destructions inflicted to the Gulf coast and it will take months maybe years before the cities will be brought back to normal. What we all should not forget or underestimate, on the other hand, is the heavy price of human sufferings that the people hit by Katrina have paid and that they are still paying. 

Many have lost everything they had, have witnessed the dramatic death of their loved ones when the violence of the water surprised them in their homes or they found themselves separated by members of their family, stranded in a new, scary life without hope.
The most important thing that can happen to these people at this time is to return to some semblance of normalcy, especially when everything normal has been disrupted.
It is important, now, that we start taking care immediately of the weakest section of these survivors. It is essential that we bring some comfort and hope to these terrorized, traumatized children who need to heal quickly from their psychological wounds.

The Congress of the U.S., our Red Cross, the friends of our Country abroad are flooding the victims of Katrina with enormous quantity of money.

An avalanche of food, clothes, and medicines is ready to fall on them and the relief started slowly because of the huge proportion of the disaster and of the peculiarity of the location affected is already working efficiently in the shelters provided in the nearby states. 

There is, nevertheless, one kind of help that these unfortunate little victims need that we should not underestimate and this is the psychological help. After the horror they have gone through, after the hunger and the heat what they really need now is that we do what it is possible to alleviate some of their strain.

With “OPERATION SMILE” we intend to do just that. We are asking every child and every family that cares to collect as many toys as possible to bring back joy and hope to the children rescued from the fury of Katrina.

Many of these children with the help of a toy will go back in their mind to the happy life they had before it all happened. They will return especially to smile and will forget their sufferings and uncertainties for their future and also their parents, encouraged by this newly achieved happiness of their children,  will start  reacting to the injuries they have suffered and will start thinking more positively about the reconstruction of their lives.

With “OPERATION SMILE” we want give a special contribution to directly support the efforts to assist psychologically those who most in need : to the youngest and weakest.

The children are the most precious treasure we have. They are the future and hope of our great Country. Donating them a toy and a smile and helping them to overcome these terrible experience we will make sure that they know that there is someone who cares, that we all care and we will ensure that no child effected by any disaster will be left alone without a friend and a smile.

The Collecting Center will be open Saturday 10 September from 10.00 a.m. to 12.30, and Sunday 11 september from 16.30 to 19.00. The Address is:
Italian Club of Dallas,  4817 Keller Springs Rd., Addison, Texas 75001
tel: 972-931-9167

Thanks for your generosity

Vincenzo Arcobelli
President Committee
Italians Abroad (District of Houston)
www.comites-it.org