giving katrina aid felt AMAZING

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hey everyone, i'm in a nurse up here in (cold) canada--toronto.

we certainly have enough social problems of our own here to deal with but i just wanted to share a quick personal story.

as soon as katrina hit hard i started searching around my community to see which organizations were sending relief down so i could chip in. i kept searching and searching and to my frustration NO ONE was sending anything down. not any local churches, not the ambulance or fire departments (which, btw, sent TONS of aide for tsunami as well as grenadian victims of h. ivan.). absolutely no one that i could find.

i was so hurt and angry because i didn't have much money or resouces and really didn't know how to help any other way. i prayed about it and made a pledge in my mind to send down $500 of aide even though i didnt know where the money would be coming from. soon after i got a work contract which in total paid me out a good bit of money and i was able to pay my remaining debts, and give my donation joyfully to these dear people.

my personal choice for giving was as follows:

when the katrina telethons came on i gave $50 (that was before my contract)

after conctract:

$150 oprah's network (they say that each $50 000 will build a home for someone and that sounded good to me)

$150 to feed the children (they seemed legit and had a program on the website specifically to help katrina victims)

$400 to buy TONS of stuff and sent it down in a big box to a local parish where apparently people are there on a daily basis round the clock needing supplies and help. this took the most time and effort especially to pack.

(not to sound negative or preachy but i didn't want to give to the red cross because i figure they must have collected at least a billion dollars from people for katrina and i think by now could have been doing a lot more to help--more aid on regular basis, more food stamps, and local housing being built in a major way to help rebuild these people's lives in an immediate and permanent way.) just imo.

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it just seemed like a biblical thing for me, because where i had nothing i just reached in the basket and fish (aid) just kept pouring out and i had more than enough to give and help others, when initially i didn't know where the aide would come from.

i know everyone has their own special charity. i will continue to give to oprah's angel network, habitat for humanity, as well as direct giving. if anyone knows of others you can share iwth me, pls. pm me.

thanks for listening,

t.

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God bless you!

I think you made good choices.

It is especially compassionate that you helped people so far in another country.

One more opportunity I like is Habitate for Humanity - http://www.habitat.org/disaster/2005/katrina/stories.aspx

The local musicians union donated instruments to Katrina survivors whose were lost.

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Specializes in Everything but psych!.

The Healthcare system I work for took a collection to send down by themself. It was great because they were also making a matching donation to what we were giving. My heart bled for our people. Thanks for sharing.

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Northern Ireland's DUP politician gives Katrina opinion.

http://www.utvlive.com/newsroom/indepth.asp?pt=n&id=67298

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thanks for the kudos everyone!

to space nurse: i totally agree with you. i will continue to give towards hab for humanity. maybe in the new year i will book a quick w/e trip down, help out and see for my own eyes the progress that is being made with people's help and donations.

to audreyfey: i got my nursing diploma in the state of wisconsin! (my heart bled for these people too--couldn't sleep initially...still having a lot of trouble absorbing what happened and how they lost so much)

take care,

dayshiftnurse

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