[JaneYoung]

Contact your local animal shelters and ask how your team can help. They may be scrambling right now but they should be putting together needs such as clean towels, food, kitty litter, crates... They may want help networking for lost and found animals. They may want help putting together a book with photos and information of animals that have been brought to the shelters and need to be identified/reunited with their owners.

Same goes with the temporary shelters being set up for families. What are the immediate needs and what can you do to help? There are also the firefighters. Do they need a bottled water collection? Will the distribution centers need volunteers?

There are lots of ways you can help your community. Making signs of support for the community, thanking everyone who is pitching in and doing their part - goes a long way in helping to keep up the morale when exhaustion and worry set it.

Our communities helped each other get through the terrible fires of last fall here in our Central Texas area. It was tough but we all found ways to help. Folks will still need help and support for weeks to come. Keep in touch with the groups your team decides to focus on and stay current on their needs as they become known.

If you find yourself in a position to listen, listen. I learned very quickly that people who lost everything needed to talk. They didn't want to whine or complain - they just wanted to talk and share their experience with someone who cared. Sometimes, it's just the simple things - even though you want to do big things, don't forget those.

My heart goes out to all of you. Stay strong.

Jane