Been a reader of Countryside for over 20 years now and really enjoy this forum but....Haven't noticed too much said about the tragedy in New York City. Maybe this isn't the right place to talk about it or maybe it would not be allowed. I don't want to go over all of this. I have myself stopped looking at the news, only checking the newspapers for any updates on this terrible situation. What has or will any of the readers be doing to help out ?? If you have given any help or can give some advice to how we all could help in a large or small way...would you ??? Just had a friend that returned from giving of her time down there and even though she is an RN she was cooking eggs for firefighters and just doing anything necessary. Anyone have anything they could share ???

-- Helena Di Maio (windyacs@ptdprolog.net), September 17, 2001

Answers

Response to New york City

Look on down the list a bit and you will see many, many postings about September 11, with many, many responses.

-- Laura Jensen (lrjensen@nwlink.com), September 18, 2001.

Response to New york City

Also, a colleague and I have taken up a collection within our organization for the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, and our organization has offered to match any funds collected. We will end the collection September 22. It should be a sizeable chunk of change.

-- Laura Jensen (lrjensen@nwlink.com), September 18, 2001.

Response to New york City

Most of us are giving locally I think.Are small community and schools are taking up donations .We have all talked and watched this awfull thing unfold.Maybe we have backed off a little because it is so painfull.

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@slic.com), September 18, 2001.

It seems that what everyone needs now are financial donations. Ebay had a listing for a relief fund for the families of the NYC firefighters and 911 personnel. They have since removed the address. If anyone would like it, let me know I still have it.

-- Cindy in NY (cjpopeck@worldnet.att.net), September 18, 2001.

Personally, I am making a financial donation. I have family in the immediate vicinity of NYC who took gator aid and other supplies to the drop off point for rescue workers in NYC and they were turned away by Fema! Apparently they had too much!

-- ugly (here@home.com), September 18, 2001.

Probably, finacial aid is the best. The Red Cross is doing a blood drive here in about three weeks-this was prescheduled, but I've already signed up to work the drive and, of course give blood, but that was something I uasually do anyway. You know, the frustrating thing is that there isn't much we can do directly, but I think the best thing we can do, as ordinary and mundane as it seems is to go about our lives in the best way we can, and in the best way I mean in a loving caring way- you might not be able to cook eggs for firefighters in New York but perhaps there is someone in your community you can cook eggs for? Maybe cook breakfast for the firefighters in your community-they are probably having a very difficult time and would really appreciate your support. I have a relative on Staten Island, and also my sister who lives near Oak Ridge Tn, which was evacuated, both say to me that it was a comfort to them knowing there were places like where I live that are peaceful and calm and sane during all this. That stiffened my resolve to keep calm and do my chores and do all I can to keep this place going and to feel that the choice we made to move here was the right one-Maybe we countrysiders can be a comfort and help just by the way we live-does that make sense?

I do a lot of needlework for charities, and I know that at one time the Red Cross was asking for blankets-I believe it was during the Storm of the Century or some other natural disaster. I will check on this-while they are not asking for blankets now, I started on a quilt and an crochet afhgan -Needlework, for me has always been a tremendous comfort and stress reliever, and when I work and know that my project will bring relief to someone-maybe not this week, and perhaps not New York City but somebody somewhere, sometime that helps me cope with all this.

-- Kelly (markelly@scrtc.com), September 18, 2001.

Thanks You Guys !!! I knew the Countryside Family would pull through !!!

-- Helena (windyacs@ptdprolog.net), September 18, 2001.

My husband is a mechanic by trade and his boss decided that for the next four Sat. (they never, ever work Sat) they would open from 10-2 and all monies made from repairs or oil changes would be given to the relief effort.

He contacted some of his suppliers and asked if they would donate things like oil, filters, etc. They said yes!

A reporter heard about this and is putting an article in the local paper...that should help alert people and increase the donation.

My youngest, a HS senior, had a friends' foster father killed in the WTC and another student lost his father in one of the planes that hit the WTC. The students are doing fund raisers. One of the things they are selling, I have been told, are Krispy Cream Donuts...for those who have never had one, you need to! Anyway, that should also raise quite a bit of money.

-- Cordy (ckaylegian@aol.com), September 18, 2001.

Cordy how sad for it to hit so close to home.It still amazes me how as a country we have pulled together .I only wish it did not take this to do it , and that it will last.

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@slic.com), September 18, 2001.

We are speaking out against vengeance and blind hatred. We are speaking to the facts. We are educating citizens about the loss of liberties we will lose. We are speaking for peace.

-- Friends (SafetyHere@sanity.org), September 18, 2001.

Friends-just how are you talking out against hatred and educating for peace? I'm very interested-thanks, Kelly

-- Kelly (markelly@scrtc.com), September 19, 2001.

Everyone in our little town here in Kentucky has joined together to organize a drive for donations (cash) to benefit the families of the firefighters and policemen who lost their lives in the WTC tragedy. The (only) local furniture store started the fund by setting up a small chest freezer for people to make donations.

The VFW got into the act by providing more community organization ... contacted the local church pastors who are announcing the drive to their members, getting some of the local gospel groups to perform at the fund-raiser which will be held the following weekend.

Many of the small firefighting units in the local little towns and communities will be at the fundraiser, the local bank will donate their time to count the money raised and get it transferred to the appropriate fund in NYC ... local newspapers, radio stations and possibly even TV will be covering it ... National Guard will have a presence and possibly equipment, if they are not called up on active service ...

This is a combined community effort that resembles the unity I remember from 40 years ago in the ranching community I grew up in ... and seemed to be long forgotten.

-- SFM in Kentucky (timberln@hyperaction.net), September 21, 2001.

Kelly,

By speaking up when folks blindly say things like "nuke 'em". I usually ask if they mean the children, elderly and mentally ill too. This usually reminds them that these "others" are people too. Or I comment on the fallout we would be in danger of from that one nuclear weapon. I respond the same way I do when I hear a really tacky racist or ethnic joke, I just say I don't support that kind of violence and certainly don't want to hear about it.

Remaining silent is the bigger crime.

-- -Friends (SafetyHere@sanity.org), September 21, 2001.