"The recovery will be a marathon."
- California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
With most of the California wildfires contained, we are just starting to get a glimpse of the devastation. Vibrant images of fire have been replaced with somber pictures of residents returning to their neighborhoods to sift through ash and debris, looking for just a glimmer of hope. "The recovery will be a marathon."
A marathon is 26.2 miles, a daunting challenge that athletes train months for. It is a test of conditioning, discipline, endurance and sheer willpower. It is one runner against many, one against the course, or one against themselves as they strive to set a new personal best.
What if that single runner had help from a team, like 55,000 ActiveRain members? If each of us took just one step we would complete the course! Small individual efforts can produce tremendous results. Just one step.
In responding to Hurricane Katrina, Keller Williams created the Heart 2 Heart program. Each market center around the country 'adopted' one or more affected Gulf Coast families, providing them financial, emotional and spiritual support to help rebuild their lives and careers. We can model the same program on ActiveRain. It's all about matching resources with needs.
How you can help
The first step is to determine needs. For many, insurance will cover their losses in time, but what about these next few weeks? What about the holidays? How long will it take for their lives to get back to normal?
The fires burned in five California counties: San Diego, San Bernardino, Riverside, Los Angeles and Orange. There are 4,657 ActiveRain members in those counties. If you're one of them and need help, let us know. If you're an AR group leader, check with your members in those counties to see how they're doing. Are you a Virtual Assistant, Stager, Title Rep? Check with the southern Californians in your profession to find out who needs help.
Step two is identifying resources to fill those needs. Work together with your groups, your profession, your office, your local community. Volunteer to adopt a family and get your office or community involved to help them get back on their feet. Share your successes and challenges with us.
To centralize our efforts, there's a new group called ActiveRain Cares. If you know of someone in need, have resources to offer, or simply have a desire to help, contact me or post a message to the group. This will be a work in progress, but I promise that if you sincerely participate, the rewards will be great. Start by taking just one step. Join ActiveRain Cares and help the people of southern California finish their marathon.
Photo from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons License.
