Monday August 29, 2005

Red Cross for Hurricane Katrina Cleanup

Just a reminder to keep the Red Cross in your line of sight for the next few days as Hurricane Katrina punishes the Gulf Coast.

I remember driving south from New Orleans in 1992 the day after Hurricane Andrew tore through southwest Louisiana -- we were in school at Loyola and decided to jump in the car to help out anyone in need, wherever we could. The first real damage we came across was a small town just north of Houma, where the only building in town that was torn apart was, coincidentally, the Red Cross building.

Later on, wherever we drove, three things became clear: 1) the damage is absolutely devastating (ceiling-high, snake-filled floods; houses torn apart; all interiors ruined; and a balmy, mucky stench that lasts for months); 2) poverty is rampant along the Gulf Coast, which makes rebuilding that much harder; and 3) the Red Cross was ubiquitous -- their volunteers were everywhere, and they were extremely well organized.

This cleanup effort will be more brutal than most of us can imagine. You can make it easier in many ways with a donation to the Red Cross.

Alternative donation options: America's Second Harvest, New Orleans Bread for the World.

( Aug 29 2005, 02:29:31 PM PDT ) Permalink Comments [2]