Give to the Red Cross

Just a quick post tonight. Give to the Red Cross, especially if you haven't been able to help out the Red River Valley directly with their flood efforts (i.e. sandbagging, otherwise volunteering). Here's the site.

It's imperative to fight flooding right now, but it's even more important (in my opinion) to continue to support efforts AFTER the water recedes. Some people have lost EVERYTHING and the Red Cross relies on your donations to keep on helping people through the entire disaster. From providing food to having volunteer mental health professionals, this organization is a life saver.

Also, if you are so inclined, think about cleaning out some closets, de-cluttering your home, and parting with some of the things you don't really need. While monetary donations are very much needed, "things" such as clothes, toys for the little ones, and even furniture can be a helpful gesture as well. When you lose everything in a natural disaster, the stress of losing basic things like clothes and your bed can creep up on a person and put an extra layer of loss. Check donation sites, places like the Salvation Army, and others for information on what "things" might be needed to assist in people's healing and their spirit to move on.

I think we've seen what a community can do when a crisis happens -it has been phenomenal. I'd like to think EVERYONE is like this...that it's not just the Minnesota/North Dakota people who step up without a second thought. But I KNOW that the area I live in gives and gives and gives -and now you are able to see that too through the heroic efforts of strangers helping those in need. That gives me hope. More hope in the future and a great sense of honor. We are courageous and we are resilient. We are interconnected and we care because we understand that "if it's gonna be, it's up to me". We are able to forget squabbles and preserve our humanity by fighting side by side to fight vigilantly for our little corner of this world. And after we've fought as hard as we can, we'll support and help each other to recover and heal -for as long as it takes. That's who we are.

Thank you very much for your support, prayers, and help.