We all MUST be heroes

There is one thing that I keep hearing during this crisis that I find frustrating. It is the same cry that rises up after every disaster in the world- "Where is the government? Where is the official help?"

The fact is that during the midst of a disaster there is no way for a governement or relief organization to know exactly what is happening or going to happen. There aren't enough resources or eyes to predict or even assess the event as it happens. Normally it is something that has never happened before so the best they can do is make educated guesses.

In the immediate aftermath there is much confusion and misinformation as the urgent needs are addressed and rescue efforts are organized. There is no communication in the hardest hit areas so sometimes it is not known where they are.

During the recovery period all that the governement and relief agencies can do is provide a framework to help and try to get a grasp of where the needs are. Any one of us who has organized a yard sale, fish fry, fund raiser or family reunion knows that even with weeks or months to organize it is still a huge job with huge obstacles. Now make it a matter of life and death that affects thousands or millions of people and try to make it happen instantly, with little or no warning.

There are still pockets of devestation that have not yet been found. Those residents have no water, no power, no home and no way to know where to go for shelter or apply for aid. It is up to those of us largely unaffected to connect with aid agencies to volunteer, but more importantly, don't wait to be deputized by an "official" agency. Go, do, serve. Be the bridge between the people in need and the agencies that can help them. Be the hands that take water and feet that wade through the filth to clean out a stranger's house.

As we go through this time of recovery it is up to each one of us to do most of the heavy lifting. We must take care of our own homes and the homes and businesses of those around us. We all must be heroes.