After Hurricane Katrina - Seven Things You Can Do

If you are like me, you are living some distance from the devastation wrought by Katrina. If you are like me you not physically impacted and can watch the plight of others on television in the comfort of your home. And if you are like me, you are wondering what you can do.

I believe the answer to that question is an important one. It can help define who you are and what you have and choose to give to the world. The list that follows is not meant to stimulate your thinking. It is meant to stimulate action. All of us can do all of these things. And in doing them we will not only be helping others, we will be helping ourselves deal with and grow from these events as well.

Give Resources. You have heard it and will hear it often. The resources required by these events will be unprecedented. Open your wallet and give. It doesn't matter which charity you choose, just give. Pick a number, then add to it. Do a search on Katrina relief to find places to contribute. You can give more than money though. Perhaps you have other resources that you could offer. Spare blankets or other supplies will inevitably be leaving from your community in the coming days. Watch for these announcements and donate. If you know someone affected, or know someone who knows someone, perhaps you can provide a spare bedroom. You can even support relief efforts each time you search the internet. Go to http://allgive.com to search and learn more.

Give Yourself. If your situation allows, perhaps you feel drawn to go and help. If you are thinking about that and you can, go. Many of us won't be able to go and lend a hand directly. You can still give of time and talents locally and have a direct impact on efforts there. Organizations like The Salvation Army and The Red Cross will be spread thin for months. If you volunteer in your town, more physical resources can remain on the Gulf Coast longer.

Encourage Others to Give. This is a way for you to give of your talents. Use the leadership and influence skills that you have to encourage others to give. If you own a business, match employee contributions to relief efforts. If you are involved in any sort of organization, start a fund raising effort. A colleague of mine sent an email saying he would match any gifts given by those on his list up to a total of $500. Every person could do this. Ask yourself who you could influence and how you could personally help increase giving. Get creative! And get started.

Say a Prayer. Regardless of your religious beliefs, or how you would state this, say a prayer. Say one for those who have lost family. For those who have lost their homes. For those who are sick or thirsty or hungry. And say a special prayer those involved in rescue and recovery efforts - those giving of themselves to make things better for others.

Keep Your Perspective. It is sometimes hard to keep a healthy perspective as you watch the events on television. It is easy to let the worry and concern become overwhelming. Do yourself a favor and don't let these events overpower your life. Be grateful for your situation. Rethink how upset or frustrated you become at little inconveniences or challenges, because these situations mean little in the bigger scheme of things, and the events of recent days should make this very clear to us.

Conserve. Our country is going to be dealing with the aftermath of Katrina for a long time. There are other little things that we can do that will make a difference. Conserve fuel. Carpool to work. Combine your errands, or just stay home. Turn off your air conditioning and turn off the lights. Fossil fuels will be in short supply and every little bit helps. Plus every dollar you don't spend on fuel, is another dollar you could choose to donate to relief efforts.

Give Again, Later. Many will give now, but agencies like The Red Cross will tell you that after the situation leaves most people's conscious thoughts, the needs will still be great. Make a commitment now to make another contribution later in the year. One way to do this is to reduce your holiday spending and earmarking the difference for Katrina relief.

I'm sure there are many more things that you can do to help both yourself and others in the coming weeks. It matters less what you do than that you do something. That is my urging to you. You can make a difference, but only if you take action.

Special Note: One of the ways I am taking my own advice to "Encourage Others to Give" is by offering you (and anyone you know) a choice of a 6 month membership to our Powerquotes Plus service, a $30 value, or a seat in our tele-seminar, The Leader as a Coach, a $49 value, if you simply let us know that you made any donation at all. Visit http://www.kevineikenberry.com/katrina.asp to learn more and contact us with your choice.

Kevin Eikenberry is a leadership expert and the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group (http://KevinEikenberry.com), a learning consulting company. To receive a free Special Report on leadership that includes resources, ideas, and advice go to http://www.kevineikenberry.com/leadership.asp or call us at (317) 387-1424 or 888.LEARNER.

In The News:
Powered by Feedzilla



Contact Us Today For Ad Information...

Ebooks, Scripts, Websites, and more...

Cheap Domain Names

11 Things Small Business Owners Can Learn From Michael Dell

1. Think Big ? In college, Michael Dell said he... Read More

Top Ten Tips for Improving Your Cash Flow

Cash is king-so they say. If you work for yourself... Read More

10 Tips for Effective Proofreading

Proofreading may not be terribly fun, but it's one of... Read More

The Top 10 Reasons Businesses Succeed

Only one of every 5 businesses makes it to its... Read More

How to Hold An Extremely Successful Event - 10 Tips

Every event you hold can be extremely successful. Apply these... Read More

International Shipping/Freight for Dummies

There are lots of benefits for some businesses to import... Read More

Home Furnishings in India : How to Find an Exporter,manufacturer or Supplier ? Beyond a Database.

Looking for a manufacturer or supplier of home furnishings in... Read More

How To Make $20.00 For Every $1.00 Invested

It has been said you can lift the Rock... Read More

Ten Reasons to Implement Choice Theory in Your Organization

What is Choice Theory (CT)? CT is a theory of... Read More

Ten Tips to Build a Culture of Inspirational Leadership

Leadership, leadership development and leadership training are "Hot" issues in... Read More

Top Ten Tips for Online Publishing Success

Use the checklist below to make sure your article, tip,... Read More

I WANT IT NOW - 10 Tips for Freight & Drayage at Trade Shows

Gas prices continue to go through the roof and increased... Read More

The 10 Benefits of Cross Cultural Training

Cross cultural differences can and do impede upon communication and... Read More

Ten Ways to Strengthen Your Reading Habit

Most people wish they read more. It is an activity... Read More

Positioning Your Company for Debt Financing

Positioning Your Company for Debt Financing:There was a time in... Read More

Performance-Stress-Motivation: 7 Sanity Saving Business Boundaries

The lack of strong boundaries is one of the chief... Read More

Top 7 Tips For Writing Your Marketing Plan

A lot of people are at a loss when it... Read More

The 7 Keys to Business Success

Do you run a business that seems to run you?... Read More

Private Practice Success: 10 Essentials for Starting a Practice

As a counselor, therapist or healing professional (massage therapist, physiotherapist,... Read More

10 Great E-Commerce Businesses You Can Start Now

If you've been thinking of starting a business on the... Read More

Surviving When Clients Arent Rolling In

As the holiday season starts to settle in, the workload... Read More

How to Become an Expert in Your Niche Business

What is a niche business? A niche business is one... Read More

10 Nifty Tips for Better Business Cards

Not having a business card is as bad as using... Read More

Seven Ways to Improve Your Results with Follow-up

What follows is a bold statement, but sometimes it takes... Read More

Brainstorming! The Key To Wealth

Advertising executive Alex F. Osborne first coined the word "brainstorming"... Read More