In the aftermath of Saturday night’s invasion of angry weather, the added problem of cold, wet weather has now set in. Many have been at a loss on what to do to help those living in the devastated areas. Luckily, the answer came from a “Rowlett resident,” who reflected the strength, appreciation and resilience of the victims:
“We are a community in waiting at this point. Waiting for the go ahead for non-residents of the highly impacted areas to enter and begin clean-up. I’ve been following the city website for updates (http://www.ci.rowlett.tx.us/CivicAlerts.aspx). Looks like they are directing most monetary donations to the Red Cross. (I had the fortune of working with them Saturday to help setup at an elementary school near my home. It was a humbling experience.)
“Many of our churches and schools are ‘full’ of donations at this point; however, I don’t believe residents have resourced them as they are still trying to gather their belongings from what remains. I believe that we will know more about needs in the next day or two as the agencies and insurance companies make their way through, and residents emerge.”
The upshot is that at this point, the operative word for now is “Patience.” It’s a hard word to swallow, because the desire to help now is so overpowering. But the immediate needs are being met as residents begin the process of discovery and recovery. In the weeks to come when all the TV cameras are gone, the struggle to rebuild will make Sisyphus’ challenge look easy. That’s when they’ll really need a help from their neighbors, whether it’s a donation, volunteering an extra pair of hands or perhaps investing in their community.
In the meantime, if you have a little change leftover from the Christmas shopping, you just know the Red Cross would welcome it.