Very occasionally, something so devastating will occur that I feel the need to take a bit of space here on macosxhints to help drive awareness and perhaps some additional financial support for those affected by the events in question. In the nearly five years I've been running the site, today marks only the third time I've done such a thing (September 11th and the Indian Ocean tsunami were the other two events).
I'm sure by now you've all seen pictures and read the stories of the incredible devastation left in Hurrican Katrina's wake in Louisiania, Mississippi, and other southeastern states. The scale of the tragedy is hard to comprehend, and the effects will be felt for many years to come. Support needs are immediate, and immense in scope: food, water, clothing, shelter ... the basic necessities of life.
So I'm taking this space today to encourage everyone who can do so to make a contribution to support the relief efforts. Every little bit helps, and there are many agencies who will be working to help those affected by Hurricane Katrina. To keep some attention on the recovery efforts, I have linked to two of the larger agencies, the Red Cross and AmeriCares, in the top-of-page space normally used for the Pick of the Week. (The Pick will return at a future date, in a slightly revised format.) However, feel free to donate through whichever group you are most comfortable with -- just make sure they are a reputable agency who will route your funds directly to relief efforts. This page at the Network for Good site lists a large number of agencies involved in the relief efforts, if you're not sure how you'd like to contribute.
I have made a donation this morning (via AmeriCares), and hope that if you're financially able to do so, you'll consider doing the same via your agency of choice. Though your individual donation may not seem like much relative to the scale of the disaster, if we all give a little bit, together we can make a dramatic difference in the lives of many, many people.
Your humble host;
-rob.
Note: Check with your employer; they may have a matching gift program for eligible charities; IDG is one such company, and so my contribution has now effectively been doubled.
Mac OS X Hints
http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20050901132450567