by Jessica Del Curto
Daily Lobo
Alijsha Maxwell said sleeping on a cot at the Albuquerque Convention Center was a luxury compared to what he was used to.
"It's better than where we were. We were standing in water, with the mosquitoes," he said, looking down at his white sneakers. "I didn't have shoes on my feet. Someone gave me these shoes in the Superdome."
Maxwell is one of the 40 to 50 people seeking temporary shelter at the Albuquerque Convention Center after Hurricane Katrina left them homeless on Aug. 22. Ninety-three people checked in on Sunday.
Others have checked into hotels or found temporary homes with friends in Albuquerque.
Mayor Martin Ch†vez said he doesn't know how long the refugees will be allowed to stay in the Convention Center, but he said the goal is to find them shelter by the end of the week.
He said all the victims have different medical needs - one victim is a recovering heroin addict who needs methadone maintenance.
"There's varying stages of emotional recovery," Ch†vez said. "We're playing it by ear."
Albuquerque has set up a separate zip code, 87165, for the evacuees to receive mail.
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Leaving it all behind
Ronald Williams is a native of New Orleans who came to Albuquerque alone. His wife and two kids are at other shelters in Baton Rouge. He stayed behind at his house during the hurricane because he didn't think the storm would be that bad.
The storm itself, Williams said, wasn't that traumatic.
It was when the flooding began that it got awful.
"You see somebody and hold your hand out, but you can't help them get on your roof," he said. "You're about to slip off and you can't help them and they're dying in front of your face."
Williams said he went back and forth between his attic and his roof for days. When he ran out of food and water, he had to leave.
"You can't lock up nothing because it was under water," he said. "Couldn't lock up my house; couldn't lock up my car."
So Williams left everything he owned and walked to the Superdome in downtown New Orleans.
Williams is diabetic. He has no money, and like many, no house. He said he was a cook.
"Right now, I'm going to try and deal with services, get a job, save a little money," he said. Then he will try and see his family.
One-stop shop
At the Albuquerque Convention Center, hurricane victims can get medical attention and use phones to contact missing friends and relatives.
In a room called the "one-stop shop," refugees get one-on-one assistance in filing for unemployment, in health evaluations and in receiving a temporary P.O. Box for their mail to be diverted, said Kathy Komoll, an American Red Cross spokeswoman.
As Williams began the tedious process of filling out paperwork, he said the system set up in Albuquerque was working sufficiently.
"They're getting it done," he said, laughing. "So far."
Refugees are expected to answer questions about previous employment, how many family members were left behind and their health status.
"I'm disabled right now," Williams said, shaking his head. "Financialwise, mindwise."
In front of him in line, Linda Jackson was waiting to be assigned her P.O. Box. She said Albuquerque has been wonderful, especially compared to the Superdome in New Orleans. She said the Superdome was a mess and every night she and her husband had to worry about who was sleeping in their beds.
She left her home when the storm started to get bad.
"My house was shaking," she said. "I had nothing. I just left with what I have on. I have never felt like that in my life. I walked in the water. My legs got tired because the water was so heavy. I couldn't move."
She said she left two children with her sister. She hasn't talked to them.
But on Tuesday she was in good spirits. As she patiently waited for her P.O. Box, someone told her there might be a hold up in the line.
"That's OK," she laughed. "I'm not going anywhere."
No looking back
Ch†vez said about a thousand apartments have been set up around the city for families to move into. Albuquerque residents have volunteered their own homes - 1,050 of them - as temporary places for families to stay.
Some of the victims said they like Albuquerque and don't plan to go back to New Orleans.
Henry Kennison, who came from the same neighborhood as Maxwell, is an artist who wants to stay in New Mexico and maybe find work in Santa Fe.
He said Albuquerque has shown him nothing but love. A woman brought him canvas and paint on Monday.
"I painted her a picture," Kennison said.
He has lived all over the South and is done regrouping after every hurricane, he said.
"I'm tired of losing my life each time," Kennison said.
A fresh start
Kennison is discouraged with the way the Louisiana government handled the aftermath of the hurricane, he said.
"We shouldn't be in this position," he said. "If politicians had handled their business, we wouldn't be here. But they didn't care about us."
He and Maxwell stayed in knee-deep water for days, Kennison said, waiting for rescuers to come get them.
"That's not right," he said. "What am I going to go back there for? I'm staying right here in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with all the beautiful ladies."
