I'm glad the boy was reunited with his dog. With all the awful things going on that should be minor but for some reason it isn't.

As far as FEMA's involvement, even though the president declared the area a disaster area, FEMA cannot go into the area unless they get a signed declaration from the mayor of the city and the govenor asking for their assistance. After the paperwork is done it can take up to 72 hours for action. My husband was in charge of emergency management for the city we used to live in and he explained the protocol to me. I guess there are some disasters that don't require federal assistance.

I've been really proud of the response of kids that want to help. In our area kids set up lemonade stands to raise money. My 4-H'ers emptied our treasury and sent the money to the Red Cross. They also wanted to send clothing and school supplies but right now the Red Cross is requesting money.

We were among the lucky people who donated cases of water in N.J. My husband collected $100 and we added some more and brought the cases to a National Guard post near us. It was a great experience because all the people and teens helping out were so grateful and were smiling. We really felt like we had done something good.

Now on to the next contribution.
Sue