Wildfire quickly approaching homes.
Taken during the Santiago, California fire, October 23
Photo by Scott Vickers
© iStock International Inc. 2007
Deadly fires in California and the Southwest United States have reduced property and precious mementos to worthless ashes. Without discrimination for wealth or poverty, they’ve left families homeless. They’ve tested the limits of human resolve. And they have killed.
As flames have swept across thousands of acres, they’ve swept across thousands of lives.
Kiwanians are there. They are the victims. They are the leaders who have stepped up to help victims. And sometimes they are victims who, despite losing their own possessions—their own certainty—are helping other victims.
Leadership is especially critical during times of disaster, and Kiwanians prove time and time again they are prepared to step up, regardless of the circumstances.
“Based on our experience with the 2003 Cedar Fire, we were able to ramp up very quickly with relief efforts, volunteering at evacuation centers and emergency shelters,” says California-Nevada-Hawaii District governor Oscar Knight. “In San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium alone, we’re serving 10,000 to 15,000 people three meals per day.”
As relief agencies move in to fully staff the evacuation centers, Kiwanians now turn their attention to a second phase of its disaster response: clean up.
“As the fires are being contained, it is important to recognize that this is just the beginning,” Oscar says. “The help of Kiwanians will be needed for the long haul.”
Invitation to lend further aid
Near or far, if the recent west coast firestorm has touched you, Kiwanis International invites you to:
Participate in dialogue about the fires—if you’ve been directly affected by the fires, if you have assisted those affected by the fires, or if you simply want to share how this disaster has touched you on any level.
Contribute to the Kiwanis International Foundation’s Disaster Relief Fund.
Posted
Nov 02 2007, 09:36 PM
by
Scott Smith