By Staff
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, many in our community have answered the call to help, donating goods, money and personal time to help the many thousands of people whose lives were destroyed two weeks ago. Many of us were helped in the past and understand the need to reach out an help others.
In considering the enormity of that damage, Ivan's wrath pales in comparison. Yet, as we mark the one-year anniversary of that horrible storm, we need to remember that our recovery is not yet complete.
The Escambia County Long-Term Recovery Committee, which formed in the weeks after Ivan and saw its workload increase aver a visit from Hurricane Dennis. Ine tha past 12 months, the committee has completed or closed 90 cases, has eight cases ready for construction and 85 cases remaining to evaluate.
But Katrina made their work more difficult. Many of the organizations previously willing to donate their labor here have shifted their attentions to the west, where harder-hit residents are in more dire need of assistance.
This group has worked diligently for the past year, cutting through huge rolls of red tape to provide services. As we seek to help Katrina's victims – who also need and deserve our help – let's not forget that we also have unfinished business here.
Charity, after all, begins at home.