Betty Ford apologized for not having more cleansers and paper goods to donate to Georgia flood victims as she hustled them onto a Salvation Army trailer Sunday.

"This is all I can afford," said Ford, who was just one of thousands to respond to the Salvation Army's flood relief drive in the Schnuck's parking lot.

Asked if she ever met the woman of the same namesake who once occupied the White House, Ford laughed and shook her head. "Nah, no one like that. I'm just glad to meet the people here, put a few things in the truck and be on my way."

The trailer, which was still being loaded past the first deadline of 7 p.m., will continue on to Paducah, Ky., where donations from a drive by WPSD-TV will be collected and transfered to the semitrailer.

"I know what it's like to be a flood victim," said Ford, who saw her home and marriage torn asunder by the flood of 1993. "I couldn't stand to go back into that home after I saw what the flood did to it," said Ford, who resided in South Cape.

"My husband feels like he put so much into it, he has to go back there. I can understand where he's coming from. And he sees my point. I guess we both just have to do what we've got to do. We're not talking divorce yet, but it's been rough."

Bob King, who is the disaster committee chairman for the local Salvation Army chapter, was moved by Ford's show of compassion and goodwill. "We've been seeing this kind of thing since last Thursday, when we started the drive," said King. "People who seem like they can't even afford to give are doing so, because they understand what it means to be a victim in a disaster."

Kendra Foster walked to the trailer from her job at Mr B's, holding $5 and the urge to get a peek into the trailer. "Are you guys getting enough to fill that thing?" said Foster. When she realized that each contribution was making a big impact, Foster smiled. "Maybe even five bucks will do some good."

Added Foster, "I've never met anyone who was hurt by the flood here, but I've done volunteer work before. It feels good to do what you can to help out when there's a disaster."

Pauline Young, who was volunteering her services as a member of the Salvation Army's board of directors, assured Foster that her money would help someone.

"When you look at each bottle of water or non-perishable canned good, it doesn't look like much," said Young. "But when you put them all together it looks like it could help an entire city."

King estimated that the combined donations of Southeast Missouri and Paducah, Ky., would aid a town the size of Bainbridge, Ga. "I could be off by a couple thousand, but it looks like this would do something for 6,000 to 6,500 households," said King.

Molly Thomas heard about the disaster relief drive on the radio and decided to donate some bottles of water, brooms, cleansers and disinfectants. "It's really a small thing, but it feels good when you give something to help people out in a time of crisis," said Thomas. "I like the idea of giving things that can help out immediately instead of just writing a check."

Doris Mace, who is president of the Olive Branch Chamber of Commerce, arrived at the parking lot with a pickup truck full of brooms, cleansers, bottled water, buckets and other items.

"Most of this was donated to us last year by people in Alabama, Colorado and other cities around the country," said Mace, who seemed to appreciate the irony of sending donations from the South back where they cam from. "It's strange how that sort of works into a cycle," said Mace, whose home was hit heavily by last year's flood.

"We were lucky enough to get our house back after two or three months," she said. "When something like that happens to you, you tend to feel more for someone else when it happens to them. I know what it's like to be overcome by the stench and then wonder how you're going to clean it all up."