Hurricane Victims Need Our Help

By Daniel Taverne


It goes without saying that we all have witnessed a new level of adversity here in the United States. What's more, hundreds of thousands of people are not only witnessing it, they are actually living it. They are living a nightmare that they can not simply wake up from.

I can't tell you how many times I began this article trying to think of ways to solicit generosity from the rest of the country, only to stop and begin again when I realized that I could never do justice describing victims grief. When I tried to describe how dire conditions are for the hurricane victims, it didn't take long for me to catch on that I couldn't say anything that hasn't already been said, and I couldn't say anything that people don't already know without making myself sound like an idiot. I consequently decided to go ahead and sound like an idiot anyway. This is a small price to pay to try to contribute to the welfare of my fellow man in need.

Today, my problems that only a few days ago seemed insurmountable now pale in comparison to the plight of hurricane Katrina's surviving victims. Frankly yet sadly, I'll never know the extent of their grief nor the depth of their loss after losing loved ones, homes, and almost everything that made their lives worth living.

As we have all observed on our televisions, all too many of Katrina's victims have
lost their lives, or they lost everything else. So, Where are the victims now? If they are not still stranded on freeway overpasses, rooftops and in attics, and if they are not stranded in non functioning hotels and hospitals in and around the city limits, then they probably are in refugee shelters located all around the deep south.

We have to understand that the victims no longer have jogs, and businesses all through the region are simply destroyed. From quaint little eateries, to shopping centers businesses will be out of commission for some time. Since the majority of the refugees now have no income they are going to have to rely on the generosity of those of us who can help.

So, put yourself in the victims shoes, then give as much as you think you would want others to give to you if the situation were indeed reversed. There may come a day when you need the help. Have you ever heard the saying, ‘What goes around, comes around’?

I’d like to help in a significant way, but I'm legally blind and don't have a way to get around myself so I figure what I can do is try to appeal to readers for donations to the American Red Cross or the Salvation Army and have your donations
specifically made to hurricane victim relief.

But, if you can’t contribute money there are still things you can do:
If you live near a shelter, you could go visit with some victims and let them know you care, and that you are praying for them. Aside from money, victims may need reassurance, love, empathy and even a shoulder to cry on. Another thing, if I were a victim, maybe I would need a few moments outside the shelter, and would really appreciate a family taking me home for a few hours of true hospitality.

Please, do what you can, don't just say, "That's terrible!" then go about your life without looking back as if what you've seen on the news is simply some zoo attraction that you can walk away from then only occasionally think about.

These people need our help, our love, and our support, so let's give it to them and show the rest of the world how we take care of our own and model or selves as a loving giving people. We will rise up above all the little problems of the day and take care of each other with our hearts.