Pictures added

We've added a few pictures from Gerda Weissmann Klein's visit to Laredo.

Check out the Pictures section and enjoy!

Hurricane Ike and the Houston Food Bank

According to CNN, the Houston Food Bank is struggling with the aftermath of Hurricane Ike. Thousands of people are asking for help, and the food bank is trying to fulfill their needs.

"The Houston Food Bank is "utterly overwhelmed with people asking for help,"
said its president, Brian Greene. The food bank needs 500,000 pounds of food a
day for the next six weeks to satisfy the "staggering" needs of Texans who have
no food or water after the storm, he said. "

You can help by donating money to the food bank in a time where they are most in need. Go here to donate money online.

Food for Thought

Although Gerda Weissmann Klein's visit to Laredo has gone by, the food drive continues. The response has been extremely good!

We have already counted 3 tons of food that we've received from people already, including large amounts of food from schools around the city.

You can still participate in the food drive by dropping off your food at one of these locations:

J.B. Alexander High School library
3600 E. Del Mar Blvd.

Laredo Regional Food Bank
2802 Anna Ave.

South Texas Food Bank
1907 Freight St.

Or we can pick up your food, especially if you have large amounts. Please call (956) 744-8702 to make arrangements.

Gerda Weissmann Klein speech

The response to Gerda Weissmann Klein's visit to Laredo was phenomenal!

"I've never seen such a reaction in fifty years of speaking." - Ms. Klein

Food was stacked on and all around a table from people who brought cans so they could get in. People were dying to get her autograph, or just a glimpse of Ms. Klein.

We had about 1900 people attend her speech at the Laredo Civic Center. All day Thursday, we had people calling us and asking us how to get a ticket.

This was a better response than we had ever hoped! The first year of One City, One Book was a definite success.

Pictures up soon.

2nd Documentary Screening

Another full crowd at the second documentary screening, and about fifty people brought canned food in order to get tickets because they had heard about it from their friends and co-workers. The One City, One Book concept has been tremendously successful. The goal of getting the city talking about one book, one issue, and "all on the same page" has certainly been reached. From the discussions before and after the screenings it is clear that people of all ages, faiths and walks of life have a common dream - to help each other exist in peace and prosperity. The mission now is to continue to spread the word that everyone, working side by side, taking small steps, can reach that dream. It just takes one person at a time to open a door and allow another person entrance to the world of hope and promise. Working together, the entire wall can come down.

Laredo Center for the Arts Reception

Poems, food, celebrity readers and war stories resonated around the Laredo Center for the Arts as a modest group braved the rain and interacted about Gerda W. Klein's experiences and how they mirrored the lives of many during the war. Mr. John Valls, who recently recieved a bronze star, spoke of opening the gates of a prison camp, capturing enemy soldiers, and escaping death without knowing how he did so. His stories of war and constant death were interspersed with more lighthearted moments as he recounted stealing Oskar Schindler's handkerchiefs and being sent to the infantry after he told his commander that he would not fly in a plane if he could not be the pilot. Mr. Valls also brought tangible memories through photos, magazines, awards and letters. The audience members asked him questions about his experience and applauded his bravery and his speaking ability. His session was followed by an open mic, with audience members reading their own poetry. Afterwards, part of the Celebrity Reader DVD was shown. Throughout the evening the crowd was able to munch on fruits and vegetables provided by RC Foodservice and Produce and drinks provided by Southern Distributing. Steve Gutierrez, who organized the event, also brought snacks, as well as entertainment.

Documentary screenings

One hundred thirteen people attended the first screening of the Academy Award winning documentary, One Survivor Remembers, based on Gerda Weissmann Klein's book, All But My Life. Approximately half were new attendees who had not been to a book discussion, but were brought by friends or family. Most stayed afterwards for a discussion of what they had seen. Many brought food to donate. Those who had attended a book discussion and the documentary or who had brought food were given their ticket to the September 11 lecture.

People who attended a book discussion, but who missed this documentary screening, have one more chance at 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, September 9. Tickets will be passed out then. Anyone who missed the discussion, but who wishes to attend simply needs to bring five non perishable food items to the library Tuesday evening and you can receive a ticket. You can also stay to see this wonderful documentary as a way to prepare for Ms. Klein's visit.

Remember, everyone is invited to the screening, but only those with tickets may attend the lecture on September 11.

September 4 Book Discussion

As we had hoped, the third book discussion was the biggest of the three, with an attendance of 120 people. We are celebrating the success of the program and looking forward to next week's events.

Don't forget to attend one of the documentary screenings!

Screenings of One Survivor Remembers
• September 6: 3:00-5:00 PM
• September 9: 6:00-8:00 PM