After volunteering in Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina, I'm all too familiar with the devastation a hurricane can bring. Even that experience and the ability to see news reports and pictures of the damage from Hurricane Sandy doesn't compare to the stark reality of witnessing the destruction with your own eyes.
This past weekend, doors flew open for me to be part of a hurricane relief assessment team and tour areas of the Jersey Shore and New York that were hit hard by Hurricane Sandy. Our 4-day journey brought us together with pastors and volunteers who have been working on the front lines in Ocean and Middlesex Counties in New Jersey, and in Coney Island, the Bronx, and Babylon, NY. These people are amazing! Despite the heartbreak around them, they contain an infectious energy and vision for helping people recover from this storm.
Just please know - wherever you are reading this - YOU ARE NEEDED! There is alot of work to be done. Right now, there are thousands of people who have been displaced all along the coast and in the inner cities. There are thousands of people who need help clearing their home and mitigating the mold. Yes - still! Many of these people will also need help re-building in the near future. Funds will be needed for tools and supplies. There is something that everyone can do!
I encourage you to be thinking of how you can help. Think about: what you are willing to do, where you would like to do it, when would you like to do it. With your help, someone's life will be changed forever. ~
