Warning - RANT

  Today is an historic day. One I am trying to impress on all my children so that No ONE EVER FORGETS! So far, the little guys do NOT get it. Not even a little bit. Oh well, there is time.

  Right now, we are dealing with the here-and-now of the fire in our little community. I have spent the last 24 hours couponing, shopping, buying and cooking. I have also called the local YMCA that is the designated center for feeding the firefighters, the three local churches that are hosting evacuees, the national Red Cross number, the local volunteer fire department and anyone else I can think of who might be coordinating donations. There is a good reason the evacuees here are unhappy. That reason is that the relief efforts SUCK. Everywhere, except the local volunteer fire department, either had no one answering the phones, directed you to another number that rang dead, or told me that there was no one available on the weekend who could answer my question. Seriously! I called the dang national Red Cross number and was told that NO ONE was available on the weekend who could tell me where donations were taken. Only my local volunteer firefighter station could help me, and they directed me to a small, local, community based program who was more than GLAD to take my donations.

WHAT THE HECK?

I have food, diapers, toothpaste and brushes, deoderant, soap, more food, shampoo, drinks, shoes, personal items and much more. The news is full of people BEGGING for help and yet...YET, no one can tell me where it should go.

I am one ticked off Mama tonight. Come Hell or high water, tomorrow all of our donations are going to the local agency, the teeny-tiny community based group who is there to help. Chris thinks that a wildfire is just not important enough or big enough to get people to help. Well God help us all, since it feels a lot like HELL here these days.........