By Hal Donaldson
Five months after Hurricane Sandy, I toured devastated neighborhoods and talked to survivors. They were thankful for the work of Convoy of Hope and other organizations, but they couldn’t understand why the crisis disappeared from newscasts and newspapers so quickly — when thousands of families are still homeless.
From the street, many homes appear as though they escaped the storm with minimal damage. But upon further inspection, flooding has destroyed foundations, flooring and walls. With tears in their eyes, one homeowner after another told how they had lost all their possessions — and, because they were underinsured, now had nowhere to turn. The reality that many will never return to their homes is setting in.
Many victims are living in hotels or with family members. Children have been uprooted from their schools, and parents have lost their jobs as businesses try to recover.
But, amid the crisis, there are also stories of big-hearted churches and businesses that turned their facilities into warehouses and dormitories.
Because of the generosity of friends like you — and corporate donations of food and supplies — Convoy of Hope established a warehouse in the region to meet ongoing needs. Together we delivered 80 semi-truck loads of food, water and supplies following the disaster.
Thank you for giving hope to victims you will likely never meet — but whose needs are very real. Although the news media has moved on to other stories, it cannot be “yesterday’s news.”
God bless you.
