The downside of blogging is that you immerse yourself day after day, week after week in such depressing information. After all, there's not always much you can do about these things, and it can really wear on the spirit.
But every once in a while, something comes up where blogging can clearly make a difference in something you can see and touch, and this is one of those times. (And besides, it's nice to take the occasional cynicism break.)
I happen to be one of these philosophical sorts. I believe when tragedy strikes, there's always a purpose somewhere. Sometimes that purpose is to give others the opportunity to find their higher selves and reach out to help, and I'd say this is one of those times, too.
Miracle's lost home on Dauphine in the Holy Cross District of the Ninth Ward.
I got a letter yesterday from Scout Prime over at First Draft. She wrote:
I hate asking to do this sort of thing but these Tulane students are doing a wonderful thing and there is really only so much help to be had in a city where practically everyone is struggling.
She went on to write about this family named Joseph, and especially a little girl named Miracle, who's lost all hope of ever returning to her New Orleans home. And so Scout's reaching out to the global village. (That would be us.) I hope everyone who reads this can spare $10 or $20. Because every time you start to feel like there's no good in the world, you can remember the time you brought a sad little girl back home - and that's worth a lot more than a few bucks.
As is all too common in the aftermath of Katrina, the Joseph children are depressed, starting to act out, and losing hope. No, we can't save each and every one child whose life has been devastated by Hurricane Katrina, but today we have the opportunity to help Miracle Joseph's family.
I'll let Scout tell the rest of the story:
Two weeks ago I posted about the Joseph family, who lost their Lower 9th Ward home for the second time. Kellie Joseph and her 6 children lost their home to Katrina. The rebuilding of their home was nearly complete when it was tragically destroyed by a fire after someone abandoned a stolen car in their backyard and lit it aflame to destroy evidence. The flames engulfed the home.
A group of Tulane medical students who heard of this devastating news decided to help the family rebuild again and started a website called Hope in Grace for what is called "Project: Bring Miracle Home." (Miracle Joseph is the child in the picture.) Recently the students contacted me. The online donation effort has reached a standstill after some initial local media attention. It is their hope to reach a wider audience through the Internet.
Here is where we can help. We as individuals and bloggers cannot rebuild the great city of New Orleans but perhaps we can help to rebuild the home of one family that has now fallen through the cracks. The family had invested their Road Home grant of $138,000 to rebuild their home. That is now lost. Unfortunately, the maximum they can receive from their insurance to rebuild their home a second time is $12,000. At this point, after donations and insurance, $132,000 is needed to rebuild the Joseph's family home. Donations can be made online to a rebuilding fund specifically restricted for use only in reconstruction.
If 13,200 blog readers gave just $10 each, they could bring the Josephs home. And that would, indeed, be a miracle - one we can all be part of.
You can donate here, and you can leave a message for the family here.