Help!

So my friend Andy called today and wanted to know if I wanted to go to New Orleans and help with the hurricane relief there. And I said yes. I didn’t know until he called how much I really DO want to go and do something.

We didn’t talk long, but he put me in charge of finding other people like me who have no lives and no commitments and want to come to New Orleans with us to help out. Unfortunately, I don’t know many people of that persuasion. (Hey, do any of you want to come? We’d love to have you!)

So when I figured out that I would not meet my "person quota," I started looking online at how we could get involved once we got there. The Red Cross’s website informed me that to help them, I would first have to get trained by my local Red Cross and then perhaps respond to some local disasters first (fires, etc.). I called my Red Cross and am signed up to get trained at the beginning of next week, but I think Andy wants to go to New Orleans then, so that might not work out so well (especially if they want us to do stuff locally first; I mean, I hope to have a real job EVENTUALLY).

Then I took a peek at Compassion International and World Vision, but they didn’t have anything for me locally yet, so I started looking at churches in New Orleans, to see if perhaps someone there is doing something and would want our help. Unfortunately, I quickly discovered that there are a BUTTLOAD of churches and that I don’t know anything about the geography of New Orleans and where these places are located and whether or not THEY’RE the ones needing relief.

I now know that it would really help if I knew someone who attended church in New Orleans or was helping there or knew anything about disaster relief, but I don’t. So do you? It would be a BIG help to us, and I would really love to get to New Orleans as soon as we can. I really want to go and help, but I don’t want to just show up and get in the way instead. So please let me know if you know anyone or have any helpful ideas!