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Free food, ice, and water was available in many places around Gulfport and surrounding towns. Playgrounds, churches, and large parking lots were common locations, and the relief workers were quick to hand out as much as each person wanted or could carry.
On Monday evening (Labor Day), we watched a CH-47 helicopter deliver ice to a schoolyard near Melba's house. They were doing this two or three times a day the first few days after the hurricane, and as soon as the chopper started circling people started running to the landing area. The crowd was very well-behaved, everyone helping each other, and within minutes tons of ice had been distributed.
Other distribution centers handed out MREs (military ready-to-eat meals), water, and clothes. The pictures below show some of the distribution centers we saw in action around Gulfport and Long Beach.
