Helping Others...

When I was listening to Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery, I was struck by how simple it was to help people in the past. There was not a lot of government red tape and things to go through to help out when you saw a need. In the story, Rilla comes across a baby whose mother is dead and the father off to WWI. She takes the baby home and raises it until the father comes back. Something in me grieved that it is so difficult, now, to reach out and help where you see need.

I read an article on the Internet about regular people organizing ways to help from all over America and was directed to this (about the New Orleans Tragedy) and was much encouraged. People are using the Internet to connect and mobilize to help. Yeah for the Internet. There is still a process, but people are able to help (more than just with money) that may not live close or be connected with the government or a charity.

There are other things like this one popping up. I read a story last night about a woman showing up at a shelter in Louisiana and taking an evacuated mother and her three kids into her home. That is the kind of thing that will REALLY help, in my opinion. People all over the U.S. taking in whoever they can and helping them where they are at so that those states down there don't have all the burden. America living in community again...