Like many people, I have been glued to the television or
regularly pulling up the latest online reports about the
devastation in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Whose heart hasn?t
been torn out and stomped on by some of the saddest tales of
woe? I know mine has! As powerless as we may feel at times there
are things we can do to help and not hinder the Gulf region.
Let?s take a look at a few of them.
1. Send money. Yes, money is the best thing you can do to
help these people. Reputable organizations such as the American
Red Cross and The Salvation Army are geared toward helping
disaster victims and can use funds to purchase what they
know they need instead of what you think they
need. Local churches and relief organizations can use your help
too; always investigate whether the organization does what they
claim to do and that they have the resources in place to help
out. When in doubt, the first two are excellent "can't miss"
choices. Oh, by the way, the Red Cross and blood banks can
always use blood.
2. Do not send clothing. Huh?! Aren?t some people walking
around with just the clothes on their backs? Yes, that is a true
statement. Unless the call goes out for clothing, shoes,
blankets, and more, your sending these items may be more of a
burden than a help. In 1989, while living near Charleston, South
Carolina, we got slammed by Category 4 Hurricane Hugo. Soon
thereafter well meaning people shipped in clothing ?- including
heavy winter garments [Charleston, much like the Delta region,
stays relatively warm all winter; snow is a rarity] -? and
organizations did not know what to do with all the stuff. I
later learned that one well known nonprofit ended up having to
bale up and throw out several tons of clothing. It costs money
to haul off unused clothing too.
3. Adopt a pet. Yes, you will soon hear sad stories of
pets permanently separated from their owners, many of whom died
in the floods. If you cannot adopt a pet, consider sending money
to an animal shelter, a zoo, or to a tourist park. Organize a
bake sale, a garage or yard sale, or some other fund raising
event and send the proceeds to afflicted organizations. If you
do decide to adopt a pet, please do so under the
condition you can take care of the pet for the rest of its life.
4. Open your home up. You may live near enough to the
disaster area to be able to help an individual, a family, or an
emergency worker by providing temporary shelter. The goodwill
you show in providing shelter for free can go a long way toward
helping the recovery effort. If you can?t open up your home,
consider volunteering as a food service provider, or by sending
in cold drinks and ice to recovery teams, or by preparing a hot
meal for an afflicted family.
5. Stay away ? for now. Visiting New Orleans and other
devastated areas is a mistake while the rescue effort is going
on. Unless you are a trained emergency services person, you?ll
only get in the way. Heck, even the president of the US will not
set foot in the area until they can handle his arrival. You?ll
only get in the way and, in some cases, your visit could be
illegal under martial law.
6. Visit later. Once recovery is well underway and hotels
can handle tourists, consider visiting an afflicted community on
your vacation. Yes, it won?t look as nice as before the storm
struck, but you?ll certainly do your part to bolster a
devastated economy. It is likely you will be enticed with
discounted airfares and hotel rates to visit; if you do you?ll
have the satisfaction of knowing that you had a part in
contributing to the local economy?s rebound. Remember:
tourists flooded New York City soon after 9/11 and tourists
continue to pour into Florida to help that state?s storm
battered economy.
Above all else, we can certainly pray to the Lord for the rescue
of the many people and animals who remain stranded and/or
homeless as well as for the sustained recovery effort. Hurricane
Katrina was a terrible natural disaster, but as with any event
of this magnitude so many hearts have been pricked to help those
who have been hurt. Certainly, that can?t be a bad thing.
About the author:
Matthew Keegan is the owner of a successful article writing,
web design, and marketing business based in North Carolina, USA.
He manages several sites including the
href="http://www.corporateflyer.net">Corporate Flight
Attendant Community and the
href="http://www.aviationemploymentboard.net">Aviation
Employment Board.
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