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Showing posts from August, 2019

Those Who Need a Voice

This is an excerpt written  for The American Red Cross when a fire left many families homeless:      It is a rainy Monday morning and it marks the third week where a 24-7 Red Cross shelter has remained open in Bergen County, NJ.  Volunteers and staff silently file into a stark room to debrief on the status of the shelter. The sole volunteer who was on duty through the night is bleary eyed. Styrofoam cups filled with coffee clutter the meeting table and business begins.     They recap how two-hundred people were left homeless from a 5-story apartment fire. Seventy-five children are among the population. There were no injuries, but all property was destroyed: clothing, furniture, toys, books, and all items relied upon for day-to-day living. The subject of whether donations are tapped out is discuss while so much is needed to bring these families back from the ashes.      The day's orders include distribution of funds, vouchers, and emergency clothing. Each client who walks away is