Feeling Helpless

With each passing day the tragedy of Katrina becomes more evident. People are being transported all across the county to take up temporary homes because their homes are gone and parts of the Gulf Coast are virtually uninhabitable. Four hundred families are coming to Washington today to take up residence in the Armory building.

I look around and ask myself what I could possibly do to make a difference for any one of these people whose lives have been so disrupted. And I feel helpless. I have always disdained the idea of just giving money, when in fact it is probably the best thing to do in this case.

A couple of days ago a plea went out for the donation of children’s backpacks for all the young victims of Katrina. I thought about joining this effort, and then I pictured a warehouse of backpacks that could never be connected with real children with their crayons melting and their Goldfish crackers going stale. What a dilemma.

I will continue to look for something to do. After the initial surge of volunteering, I’m sure there will still be a neediness because this problem is not going away for a long time. Maybe I will eventually be able to make a real contribution.