Students gather clothes for Katrina-stricken area

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, a little girl from Mississippi might have unknowingly provided the inspiration for a drive that will deliver more than 250 pounds of clothing to fellow Katrina survivors this week. \nDuring winter break, a group of 220 IU students traveled to Mississippi for a week to help clean up the devastation Katrina left behind. But when junior Christina Barniak left Mississippi, she knew she could do more.\nShe said she was inspired in part by the young Mississippi girl, who Barniak guesses was 10 or 11 years old. The girl lost her clothing in the hurricane and Barniak said when she gave her a wrinkled and torn T-shirt adorned with Mickey Mouse, it made the girl's day.\n"It may be only one piece of clothing that we're giving away, but it's another change in her eyes," Barniak said she remembers thinking. "I don't want this to end when I get on the bus and go home."\nSo when Barniak returned to Bloomington, she began a clothing drive with some friends, stationing a collection box in the Health, Physical Education and Recreation building on campus. Soon, others she didn't even know were helping, and Barniak began planning a way to get the clothes she collected to Mississippi.\nShipping the clothes would have been costly, but Barniak's effort got a big boost from David Gallahue, dean of the school of HPER. Since Barniak is a student in the HPER department, Gallahue agreed to fund her trip with help from the IU Foundation by paying for gas, food and lodging. \n"This is a way to build our community while helping restore the community in Mississippi," Gallahue said.\nBarniak said she will drive her 1987 Toyota pickup to the Mississippi coastline today to deliver the clothes she collected, fulfilling her goal of delivering aid to people who need it in the last couple months of winter. \nThe spirit of community runs deeper than just Barniak and Gallahue. Senior Kate Dishman and junior Tara Smith also went on the trip to Mississippi. They began collecting clothes and essential supplies like blankets and sleeping bags as soon as they returned home, unaware of Barniak's efforts. At a reunion for students who went on the trip, they were put in contact with each other and the supplies Dishman and Smith compiled will be added to what Barniak is bringing. \nDishman said she was moved to act after realizing the severity of the situation in the region.\n"The most important thing is for people to realize that there is so much that still needs to be done down there," Dishman said. "(The situation) is not fixed. It's not even really beginning to break into what it was supposed to be like."\nSenior Elana Habib said she was moved to do more for victims of Hurricane Katrina.\n"To go down and help for a week was not enough for me," Habib said , who helped Barniak collect clothes.\nBarniak said the clothing drive is an example of how much people can make a difference, even when the task seems overwhelming.\n"There's still humanity in this world," she said. "Nothing is wrong with a helping hand"