Last night, some former housemates of mine went with Laura and me to hear people recount their experiences with relief efforts in Mississippi and Louisiana. At first, I did not want to look at still more pictures of the disaster area but found myself emotionally immersed in the muck and destruction. (I plan to take a look at Flickr: Photos tagged with katrina for further local coverage of the recovery efforts.) I learned that a major part of the volunteer effort has gone to "mud-outs" the stomach-wrenching and labor-intensive process of removing the furnishings from houses damaged by flood waters. Seeing pictures and videos of workers wearing respirators, boots, and gloves and standing beside walls covered with the biggest mold spots I had ever seen brought home how hard the work was. There are more students heading down to New Orleans in March.
I've been pondering things Laura and I can do to help in the relief efforts. We can certainly give money to the American Red Cross. We can also support the students who are going on the trip directly. I need to remind myself not to forget prayer, which is often the last thing in which I engage, alas. Finally, I'm part of a community of folks who care about issues such as the ongoing relief efforts around the hurricanes. I can do my part to keep them informed and motivated to work together.
Posted by rdhyee at February 7, 2006 01:24 PM