October 30, 2012
This is not the post I was going to make.
Honestly, I had a blog planned for today, a blog about the Electoral College, and why it was a good idea at the time, but watching Twitter and looking at the news of Sandy, I just honestly don’t have the heart this evening. So many people, including some people who just lost parts of their lives barely a year ago in Irene are facing similar situations yet again.
The news from New York is sad; tunnels flooded, lights out, and public transit stalled. In New Jersey, the famous Atlantic City boardwalk has been washed out. It really makes me want to go out and hug everyone who’s lost things.
However, everything isn’t lost. It seems that no matter how much people are battered, they find ways to come together and care for each other. Some Broadway actors were going to go to Times Square and sing cheerful songs in one article I read, and in other areas, restaurants and people are donating food to those without power.
NOAA Image of Sandy,
If you don’t have power, well, you’re probably not reading this, but if you can somewhere, hang in there. To quote Annie: The sun’ll come out tomorrow. We’re all thinking about you and sending you warm thoughts.
If you’re nowhere near Sandy’s wrath, there are a number of things that you can do to help.
- The Red Cross is always in need of donations or volunteers to help with relief efforts. By texting 90999 to “Redcross”, you can donate ten bucks (through your phone bill, so be careful if you’re not paying your own bill!) to the relief efforts.
- Also, if you don’t have money to donate, the Red Cross is also needing blood, as over 100 blood drives were cancelled because of the storm. You can donate no matter where you are. Just search for a donation drive or a Red Cross in your area.
- Feeding America is also helping victims in various places. Check out their website here.
If you can’t do any of those things, doing something as simple as boosting the signal can help so much. Blog about it, pass around links, make a tweet or a Facebook post. Let’s let everyone know that we’re thinking about them, and haven’t forgotten them in the haze of everything that’s going on.
P.S. If anyone’s interested in the Electoral College, leave me a comment below. I’ll be back with it if there’s enough interest!
Ashley
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I’m one of those people who think that in the bad times, the best in us comes out. I saw NYC friends who still have power opening their homes to people without; And in an area not hit by the storm today, I know someone who opened their home to an elderly neighbor who had been locked out of her home by accident. It’s a shame that it takes a disaster to highlight the good in the world, but I think most of us want to do the right thing. And then do it, every day, with no expectation of recognition.