I just got a big dose of reality about how lucky I am

[Maraya1969]

I went to the Salvation Army to dop off some things but was 5 minutes late to use their drop off service. So on my way out I saw a woman sitting there who looked homeless and I asked her, as an opening, if she like paint by numbers, (I had gotten a couple during the lockdown and never ever started them) She sounded enthused and we started talking.

I ended up going to her house to drop off the things and she followed on her bicycle, (Because she had lost her car in the storm). I was going to just give her the things that I had brought.

When I turned into her neighborhood I couldn't believe my eyes. In my neighborhood there are just a bunch of trees and branches and pieces of roofs next to the road. In her neighborhood there are the entire contents of the house. Beds, furniture, piles of stuff I couldn't even identify. These are some of the ones with water damage. I had heard so much about Sanibel and Cape Coral and didn't even know about all the neighborhoods in the back road that were decimated.

I was so glad that I met her and saw what she was going through. And I met some of her neighbors - all going through the same thing. I decided to go home and try to find stuff in my home that could help them.

She said FEMA was helping and her insurance was helping some. They still did not have WIFI.

I wouldn't know how to start organizing but I figured I could tell everyone and encourage you all to donate to the Red Cross or FEMA to help these people. The recovery is going to be long and hard.

Here is a site where you can donate. Any little bit will help these people.

Oh, and she is a hairdresser by trade and insisted that when she gets back into her home she is going to give me a free haircut and color! She had no idea how much she doesn't need to repay me. No idea at all.

Edit to add the link: https://www.winknews.com/2022/10/04/heres-how-you-can-help-southwest-floridians-affected-by-ian/

[3Hotdogs]

1. She does need to repay you. Not for a debt owed, but so you allow her to feel

good about herself.

[Maraya1969]

7. That is an excellent point. Thank you.

[wnylib]

8. So true. The best thing you can give to someone

in need that you have helped is the gift of restoring pride and dignity by accepting what they offer in return.

[snowybirdie]

2. Thank you for helping

Wish so was younger and could actually physically help my neighbors. This will take so long to come back. WINK is a good charity. Their studio was flooded too btw.

[Karadeniz]

3. Lovely, lovely story... Thanks!!

[3auld6phart]

4. Thank you

for sharing. You are a kind and generous soul

[iluvtennis]

5. Yes, beautiful story. Thanks for what you did @Maraya1969. n/t

[summer_in_TX]

6. So thankful you shared that.

Just wanted to share that it's important to find local charities that have been vetted and approved to receive donations in the communities and the state.

In helping during a natural disaster where I live, I got an eyeful of Red Cross tactics. I don't recommend them. They were not helpful to first responders and worked to keep information about those they were serving as proprietary, turning away community volunteers wanting to provide meals (even though they had no one there to provide food) and other help. Some of it was reasonable caution but others were not. Local restaurants asked for a headcount so they could send food, but they wouldn't do it.

Maybe we just had poor quality Red Cross staff, but they were not of use. Their beds were later, but not initially. Then their state commander breezed through with our state elected officials trailed by news crews. Not a fan.

[wnylib]

9. I remember something that the mother of my husband's friend

told me years ago about the Red Cross at disaster areas. She was from a small city in Ohio that got hit by a tornado. (It was not Xenia.) She told me that the Salvation Army was wonderful. They set up tents to serve meals and gave away food and clothing.

But she told me that the Red Cross was selling the donations that they had received instead of giving them to people who had lost so much in the storm.

I did some volunteer work for a well known organization that I will not name because the problem might have been just local management. They asked me to call some local businesses to request donations of blankets, towels, and toiletries for people in need that they served. The businesses were very generous in donating some good quality items. But when the items arrived, I discovered that the manager and assistant in that department of the organization were divvying up the donations, taking the best ones for themselves first. They insisted that I take some, too, to make me an accomplice, I guess, in order to cover themselves. I refused.

Yes, I reported them to the director. Nothing happened to them AFAIK, but shortly afterward they did not need my help any more.

I am very wary of donating as a result of that experience. I would rather give things directly to people than to an organization now, to be sure that the intended recipients actually get what I give. But that is not feasible in large disasters at a distance from me. So I check their records carefully and give money to ones with good records. I always give to the Salvation Army. Don't agree with their theology, but they do good work.