Ask What You Can Do…

A Caring Foundation worker hands out food to residents of the heavily damaged Rockaway section of Queens on Wednesday. ~ CNN

The destructions and devastations brought about by Superstorm Sandy were unprecedented. It was possibly the worst storm from the Atlantic. Sandy left unimaginable chaos, heartaches and pain when it traversed over a large 900-mile swath of eastern United States during the Halloween season. And that was after leaving its destructive wave in the Caribbean. Imagine the scale of it; Sandy has afflicted no fewer than 21 states, from New Jersey to Illinois, and to Canada. Too painful for me to add images of the devastations to what have been covered by the TV stations and news media. Now is the time to pull together, rebuild lives and above all ‘ask what you can do.’

Firefighters work to extinguish flames in a home in the Breezy Point neighbourhood of Queens ~ CNN

In times of human calamities and natural disasters, heroes arise and acts of kindness bring rays of hopes for humankind. A picture tells a thousand words, so I shall salute these first responders and other kind citizens with more images than words. We must remember that they too have their homes and loved ones to worry about. Can you pause and ‘ask what you can do’ too.

Residents including a young child are rescued by emergency personnel from flood waters brought on by Hurricane Sandy in Little Ferry ~ Sky News

I recall the great song that was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie in 1985 for the super group of singers USA For Africa. The song “We Are The World” was an appeal to human compassion and intended to be part of a socially aware culture. It was a song written as a fundraising vehicle, for causes, tragedies and catastrophes. Hope this song brings some soothing sound to traumatised souls during this sad period.

Send them your heart
So they’ll know that someone cares…

No Bureaucracy, No Red Tape

No Bureaucracy, No Red Tape ~ The BBC

The President has declared that “… there will be no bureaucracy, no red tape, get resources where they’re needed as fast as possible, and for the duration.”

Our hearts and prayers go out to all the victims and to those helping to restore normalcy.