For now, however, they're simply in the way, one more obstacle for cleanup crews to swerve around as they carry soggy Bibles and smelly hymnals to a Dumpster outside. A third of his 100 congregation members lost their homes. Unfortunately, right now most of our folks are worrying about where they're going to live, how they're going to afford to eat. That's the message cleanup crews, nonprofit organizations and government agencies are trying to convey as the effort to dig Eastern North Carolina out from the muck of Hurricane Floyd reaches its third week. Clothes will be appreciated, eventually.
Water is always useful, but more so early in the recovery.
School supplies are a nice thought, but money with which to buy them gives local schools and parents more flexibility. On Wednesday, Gov. Jim Hunt asked the Salvation Army to prepare a warehouse to handle donations of new and used furniture. So far, more than 4,000 homes have been deemed a total loss. That's a wonderful sentiment, but it's not appropriate right now. Aid groups say residents should think before they give.