I’d like to go down there to lend a hand, but would I be one of thousands and thousands of volunteers wandering about without something to do? Or should I organize a donation drive to send "hurricane" supplies? But to whom should I send it to? Maybe the donation to the Red Cross IS the best idea after all. Phooey. There has GOT to be something I can do!

Sadly, the selfless heroism of New York’s Police and Firemen manifested on 9-11 appears to not be the “norm”. The public is becoming aware that our family’s, communities and our own health and safety rests in our own hands.
Columbine High School on April 20, 1999: Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold murderous rampage began at 11 am, and they committed suicide an hour later at 12:08 pm — Police protocols had teams reaching the first victims 4 hours after the first shots had been fired or about 3 pm - victims who would die in the extra half hour it would take before those same police protocols allowed paramedics clearance to respond.
Hurricane Katrina: Officials tasked the National Guard to duties other than providing needed survival supplies and the Red Cross and Salvation Army were denied entrance as evacuation protocals didn’t want any food, water and sanitary supplies getting into the Superdome or Convention Center. It was and is up to the public to supply our own protection and aid.

I was just listening to Pat Robertson on You Tube. Terrorists do take advantage of political changes, 1993 (Clinton), 2001 (Bush), 2007 (New Congress?). Not a big leap to think of a terrorist attack in 2007. Kind of an anti-climax announcement.

But it did get me thinking, how many people actually prepare for a possible disaster by having a few days of food around, flash lights, medical supplies, that kind of thing. The normal Red Cross Be Prepared kind of thing.

All the "Oh my God the world is going to be destroyed by…" Nuclear war, global warming, terrorists, hurricanes, tornadoes, infestations of caterpillars, etc can leave this one alone.

I just want to know how many reasonably normal people have checked out ready.gov and have some emergency supplies around in case of a disaster.
Thanks. The ratio of real answers to silly answers tells me a lot too. Looks like if there was a major disaster any major urban center in the country things would end up a lot like they were in Louisiana. On the other hand, it kind of looks like people in rural or suburban areas might be better prepared. Kind of a common sense thing I would guess. some kind of ratio of storage space versus costs versus convince and availability, I would assume.

Thanks.

Our neighbors just lost everything they own in a fire from a house that was struck by lightning. No one was injured, but they are just in the first few days of figuring out how to get their life moving again. I’d like to coordinate a donation and support center for them and will start with a blog and our local church.

Does anybody have any other thoughts or recommendations of groups or organizations that help families with rebuilding?

Red Cross has already been in contact, is there anything else?

Obama sent an easy link to those on the email subscription. It made it simple to find the donations page at the Red Cross.

There are a million people down there freezing and he just had a big super bowl bash, the damage down there has surpassed damage done during hurricane Ike? Shouldn't he be doing something instead of partying it up with his buds? We donated money to the red cross but my husband and I have full time jobs and there is little else we can do, what is the presidents excuse? Could he not tell with that much ice forecasted that disaster would follow? Shouldn't have have stopped the storm somehow or acted sooner in the relief efforts?
Kristen I have to work unlike most of you libs, we donated money, what did you do?
Jim R who said anything about Katrina?
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090131/D9625U781.html

Heres your link
I am shocked by some of these answers from the libs, Bush was supposed to somehow change the direction of Katrina but when he failed to do so he is still to this day being bashed because so many people ignored warnings and stayed in their homes with a storm of that magnitude heading directly towards them, imagine if he had been at home having a party with his pals, some crazy liberal would have probably scaled the white house walls and shot him. You guys are such hypocrites…such hypocrites!
Thx Goldwater

I am a recent college grad looking to get into disaster relief work. I am looking for a job with FEMA, Red Cross, etc. The problem is they don't really seem to have to many entry level type of positions. Any ideas on who to talk to, or where to go to get more experience for these types of jobs?