Help Is Happening

Just in case you're glued to CNN, as I've been, and suffering from Hurricane report overload/meltdown, read this account of large numbers of people getting real help. Yes, it's the Red Cross, our oldest relief organization. At the bottom of the first link is a link for online donations, if you want to do something quick to make a big difference.

Isn't it good to know some things aren't broken and don't have to be fixed? This organization has been working steadily, often without headlines that acknowledge their remarkable efforts, for more than 150 years. As a fundraiser, I find theirs an awesome track record for a charitable organization, any way you measure it.

We all need some good news for a change, and even CNN isn't going to give us much of that. Journalism's motto remains, "If it bleeds, it leads." Well, I refuse to have my consciousness dominated by that mentality. I invite you to pull back and lLook at a wider picture. Sure, we're all upset over the poor response and people who died as a result of it, but looking at the humane things that are happening makes me feel human again.

I like the motto of the American Red Cross: "Together, we can save a life." I would add, together we can save a lot of them. Maybe even our own.