Ok… I’ve been a bit too stunned about Katrina, and completely frustrated. I’m in Seattle. So, I can’t quite drive on down and help out directly. I can give money, and I can rant about a completely ineffective government. Hurricanes happen, and sometimes people die when they cause buildings to fall down on them. But the elderly and infants dying of dehydration in a stadium is inexcusable.

And yet there still isn’t much I can do about it.

But there is this: The Rolling Duffel Project. Some folks in Dallas are driving over to Reunion Arena and adopting families. Literally. They find out what they need, hit WalMart (I know), but a rolling duffel survival kit, and deliver it to these needy families. These people have nothing, and a rolling duffel isn’t much, but it will at least get them through a week or two.

So, link to it, and give to it. And, if you’re within an hour or so of some of the larger shelters (such as Reunion Arena in Dallas, or Baton Rouge, etc.) then take it upon yourself to get down there, find out what people need, and get it to them. The Red Cross and other agencies have very few people and appear to be doing things in bulk… but what’s needed are for lots of people who have something to take in a lot of people that don’t.

If you’re down there, please, do what you can to help out. My cash will help, but sharing a room with a working bathroom probably goes much, much further for these people.