We are at a critical point in the Hurricane Katrina relief effort. FEMA reports that it pumps millions of gallons of water out of the flooded city daily. The governor of Louisiana projects the French Quarter will be inhabitable as early as Sept. 26. Soon, the developments in the Gulf Region will lose their stranglehold on the nightly news and front page, as other national and international developments register on the national consciousness. As the waters and the coverage recede, so does the urgency.
It can be especially difficult for those of us in Wisconsin to remain committed to a relief effort that is taking place thousands of miles away in communities we have never seen. As organizations like the Red Cross and United Way report donation totals in the hundreds of millions, it is tempting to feel like we have done our part and can now turn our attention back to our respective hometowns. The danger is that after all natural disasters of Katrina's magnitude, the need continues long after the headlines change and the generosity tapers.
Thankfully, a group of University of Wisconsin students, now organized under the title Students Helping Students, recognizes the threat of this post-trauma mentality. They have also found a way to combat it. This week, the group is launching a campaign that gives individuals a quick and easy opportunity to help Katrina survivors in both the Gulf region and Madison.
Recognizing that many students and Madison residents are succumbing to donor fatigue, SHS developed a relief effort that is short and requires minimal effort on behalf of willing participants. They will be combing the campus Thursday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. wearing everyone's favorite red Wisconsin t-shirts and carrying makeshift donation buckets. They'll happily accept whatever small donation students and Madisonians can give.
SHS will also roam the bars on State Street Friday night and again by Camp Randall Saturday, looking for benevolent patrons.
SHS wants to emphasize the age-old tenet of volunteerism: a lot of little can go a long way. The group's mission statement includes the phrase, "less is more!" They are asking students to have "One less latte, one less drink at the bar, one less newspaper, one less soft drink." It is amazing to think what the money from these small sacrifices could yield if they were all funneled into a campus-wide relief effort.
Greta Hafeman, a UW senior and one of the founders of SHS, stressed the simplicity of the campaign's strategy. "I'm asking people to donate just one dollar — just one! Imagine not having a college to go back to. Imagine not have a home to go back to. These people deserve our help."
Help is undoubtedly on the way, but how much depends on this campus. SHS hopes to raise $20,000 for families who have relocated in Madison and to students in the Gulf region. SHS's partnership with United Way makes them confident that the funding will be sent where it is needed most. This blend of local and long-distance relief is perfect for this time in the Katrina effort and reinforces the admirable idea that Katrina surviving families and students are simply neighbors in need, whether they are down the street or down the Mississippi.
If you are interested in joining this admirable effort, SHS is holding an organizational meeting for both the campus comb and the bar crawls 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 20, in Humanities room 1111.
If you cannot commit your time, commit one dollar. Given the need in this country and the generosity this campus has always demonstrated, SHS and its volunteers would be crazy to ask anything less.
Sarah Howard ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in political science and journalism.
