This time it's their need.Byline: The Register-Guard It's difficult for even the most empathetic em·pa·thet·ic adj. Empathic. em  pa·thet i·cal·ly adv. among us to fully
grasp the scope of damage, suffering and loss inflicted by Hurricane
Katrina.
We sit at home safely nested on our couches and watch the images on television: an injured and disheveled man inching his way on crutches through thigh-deep water toward the Superdome; a dazed daze tr.v. dazed, daz·ing, daz·es 1. To stun, as with a heavy blow or shock; stupefy. 2. To dazzle, as with strong light. n. A stunned or bewildered condition. family being plucked from the rooftop of a home they may never see again; a woman stranded at an overpass next to the blanket-shrouded body of her husband; a forlorn youngster begging for food in front of an overcrowded o·ver·crowd v. o·ver·crowd·ed, o·ver·crowd·ing, o·ver·crowds v.tr. To cause to be excessively crowded: a system of consolidation that only overcrowded the classrooms. relief center. We see these images, and try to comprehend Katrina's toll. But there's too much to take in. Our thoughts and prayers seem paltry in the face of such pain and desolation. We are reminded once again of our own fragility - and of the fragility of all that we blithely assume protects us from harm - our homes, our communities, our transportation, our law enforcement agencies A law enforcement agency (LEA) is a term used to describe any agency which enforces the law. This may be a local or state police, federal agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) or the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). , our hospitals, our dams, our very sense of order. And we realize how swiftly these levees can be breached and the waters of chaos pour over us. At such moments, we remember how ultimately we depend on one another and how important it is to reach out to help those in need. We write checks and make pledges to assist faraway hurricane victims knowing that if we were in similar straits they would do exactly the same for us. For those who want to help victims of Hurricane Katrina, here are some of the organizations that are helping: American Red Cross American Red Cross: see Red Cross. : (800) HELP-NOW or www.redcross.org America's Second Harvest America's Second Harvest is a United States based nonprofit organization. It consists of a nation-wide network of more than 200 food banks and food-rescue organizations that serve virtually every county in the United States as well as Puerto Rico. : (800) 344-8070 or www.secondharvest.org Catholic Charities: (800) 919-9338 or www.catholiccharitiesusa.org Church World Services: (800) 297-1516 or www.churchworldservice.org Episcopal Relief & Development: (800) 334-7626 or www.er-d.org FEMA FEMA, n.pr See Federal Emergency Management Agency. Charity tips: www.fema.gov/rrr /help2.shtm Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) is any of a number of animal welfare organisations whose operations include protecting and providing shelter to animals in danger. : www.la-spca.org Mercy Corps (888) 256-1900 or www.mercycorps.org National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster: www.nvoad.org Northwest Medical Teams: (800) 959-HEAL or www.nwmedicalteams.org Salvation Army: (800) SAL-ARMY or www.salvationarmyusa.org United Methodist Committee on Relief: (800) 554-8583 or gbgm-umc.org/umcor/emergency/hurricanes/2005 |
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