Gifts

This past Sunday, it was announced at church that they are collecting personal care kits all this month to send to victims of Hurricane Katrina. I got a copy of the list and decided I would purchase items for 5 kits. Why 5? I don’t know, it just sounded like a good number. Off we went to Walgreens to buy items like soap, deodorant and other personal hygiene items; while at Meier & Frank to do the registry, we bought 5 sets of towels. These will all be bundled up individually and sent at the end of the month to shelters in the southeastern United States, where thousands are staying and don’t even have a toothbrush to their name.

I can’t even imagine what it would feel like to be displaced like that. The devastation is so great, the suffering so profound, the need overwhelming. I wanted to offer something, a tiny contribution to the cause of bringing some comfort in some small way to those people affected. I saw families sitting outside in the filth, waiting to be evacuated. I wanted to reach through the tv and hand then a bottle of water, some food, and whatever else they needed. It was awful to see that, day after day. Especially to see the babies, so hot and thirsty! That made me mad.

I had OC with me during these shopping trips, and told her what we were doing. She in turn told the clerks at the stores that this was for Hurricane Katrina. She watched the news with me this past week, although she didn’t see as much as I, so she knows what happened to some extent. I thought it was a good way to show her what you can do when you see something bad on the news. There are times that you can follow through after watching the news and listening to the radio; go to church and talk about it, and actually get involved and do something to help. It’s only right to help others when you are able.

I’m right in the middle of registering for wedding gifts, so I cannot help but feel awkward by the juxtaposition of picking out beautiful things while in the midst of seeing so many other Americans in such dire straits. I feel lucky and well cared for.

Safe places to donate money are many, and include:

The Red Cross: http://www.redcross.org/

The Humane Society: http://hsus.org/

Prayers are going out for comfort and relief.