helping your fellow (hu)man

The images of the past few days have been overwhelming.. I can't think of one person I know who hasn't been overwhelmed at some point by the people begging for help.
I have been told that I am too critical of the lack of organization and rescue after the storm. But I don't agree with that assertion. I cannot understand how, in this day and age, we can drop supplies to a tsunami ravaged country within a day of the storm, but it takes 4 days for our own governement to get into a city in our own country. It is unacceptable.
Friday, I worked a Red Cross Telethon to raise money for the victims of Katrina, it was a humbling experience. There were corporations who dropped of checks for 1 million dollars, and phone calls from people who could only give $5 dollars.
I listened as an older man broke down in tears as he made his donation.. I consoled him and made sure he was ok before I hung up the phone with him, and he stays with me even today. I hope he's ok. There were Atlanta Falcons players, radio personalities, and I have to give a shout out to my girls Gemini, Shorty, Garnett and Mandy, who came down after work to take some calls, and literally were on the phone nonstop, even after the telethon was over the phones kept ringing, and we kept answering. It wasn't much, all we did was take some calls, but it felt good to be doing something.. anything to feel like we were helping. I was able to chat with Patrick Kerney and Brian Finneran(and his wife) from the Falcons, who were sitting next to me on the phones.. It was such a wonderful experience, in the face of such a devastating thing that I can't even imagine..
The numbers are still coming in, but we had raised well over 5 million dollars.. and more money is still coming in..
Hopefully it will help someone out..
Tomorrow, we will gather with our friends to just be... It's not a happy time, certainly no time for a party.. but I thought it would be nice to get together with the ones we love to just be together.
I hope you all have a wonderful holiday weekend.
peace..