NY Times: Where FEMA Fell Short, Occupy Was There

[starroute]

39. The best part is not the supplies but the people-to-people contact

It's about climbing 23 flights of stairs in the dark to knock on the doors of people who are trapped in their apartments because they're too old or sick to walk down, to get them the food and medication they need to stay alive, and to let them know they haven't been forgotten.

It's about working with neighborhood organizations -- and even with one motorcycle club -- and putting a public face on the 99%.

It's about discovering the real-world application of all those skills that were worked out in the "sandbox" of Zuccotti Park a year ago -- feeding large numbers of people, distributing clothing and other supplies, and caring for the homeless.

There's a cold winter coming with anything between 10,000 and 40,000 people who have no homes as a result of the hurricane, and that may be beyond Occupy's ability to deal with through simple people power. But they may yet come up with something -- and at the very least, they won't stop reminding the rich and powerful that there are still citizens in need.