It was pretty dire when the tornado hit our city a few months ago. Thankfully, although the boys and I heard the turmoil, we weren’t directly affected in any other way. But I had work colleagues who lost their homes and our office took a pretty damaging hit as well, forcing all staff to work from home until the repairs were complete and the building declared safe-to-work in again.
But that’s old news. I vaguely remember hearing at the time that there were a lot of individuals and groups banding together to try to help, with money and time. But I pretty much figured that it would only last momentarily as these things usually do. Once the initial shock and noise dies down, people usually get back to their day-to-day lives and those who are impacted by the disaster somehow need to work out how to get back to their lives too, although it’s usually nearly-impossible.
So that’s why I was so happy to learn that donations are still flowing in via various groups which are trying to help Harrisburg’s clean-up and recovery effort. And thank G-d really, is what I say. According to secretary of the Alton-Godfrey Kiwanis Club, Diane Horning, there are still “dozens upon dozens of homes with temporary tarp roofs.” In addition, she is concerned that not all the homes which were totally destroyed will be rebuilt, at all.
But clearly Horning is doing her bit. Her Kiwanis Club is one of around 20 of the groups which are raising funds to help put Harrisburg back together again. But rather than just practical help (which of course is very much needed), what she’s doing now is really cute, and I think helps those people dealing with this kind of mass destruction, take their mind off it for a while. Her Club planned a pancake breakfast, the proceeds of which will go towards the Harrisburg recovery project. Now that’s cool. And it’s thoughtful. At least, this kind of news makes me proud to be a Harrisburg resident. In the face of disaster, kindness is shown.
