Chaos in New Orleans

I've debated for the past 24 hours how to cover the post-Katrina chaos in New Orleans. I could come up with a long list of the atrocities there, some by nature, some by people. But you can turn on any television or pick up any newspaper today and see the horror.

Instead, I want to concentrate on what we can all do to help. You can donate directly to Americares or the Red Cross online. AccuWeather has a long standing relationship with Americares, an organization that gives 100% of any donation towards relief efforts.

Americares | Americares News on Katrina | Donate Now

Here's something else: Most local communities (even those far from the disaster, like here in Central Pennsylvania) have setup drop-off points for supplies that will be sent to the Katrina-ravaged areas. Your local radio station can give you more details, and you should read their requirements carefully (they usually have a list of specifically what is needed), so that we don't waste valuable space in delivery trucks, or send items that won't get used.

Here at AccuWeather we are coordinating our employee's supply donations with one of these local points. I'm a big fan of donating supplies because it's something concrete that people can use. This morning on the way to work I stopped at a grocery store and went through picking up supplies that matched the list we were given, that would supply a family just like mine with what they would need for a few weeks. I tried to imagine my family in the same dire straits that those in New Orleans are facing. What would we need to guide our lives back to normal? How wonderful would it be to finally get the supplies we needed? I challenge you to do the same thing. Imagine your family in the shoes of a New Orleans or Mississippi coast family today and donate supplies or money to one of these charities. No amount is too little, every little bit will help. Some people are even offering up space in their homes for the refugees (with the disclaimer that I can't vouch for the validity of this site, it is making the rounds in the blogs).