When Hurricane Sandy pummeled the East Coast just days before the general election, we asked ourselves as a nation, what is the proper role of the government in providing relief and assisting with recovery? Today I want to turn the question around. What is the role of neighbor helping neighbor in a calamity such as Sandy?
In April of this year, my sister and her family in rural Kansas suffered a frightful tornado. Thankfully no one was injured but the loss of property was devastating. Most impressive, though, was the immediate response of the community in helping them clean up the damage and rebuild their lives. Neighbors helped a neighbor in a way that was rapid, efficient, and effective. I was moved by this, as were many who observed this outpouring of support.
As inspiring as this story is, however, I remember thinking at the time that this could only happen in a small community. In an urban area with widespread destruction, coordination would be too difficult and the needs too overwhelming for individuals to be of much help. It turns out I was wrong.
In parts of New York hardest-hit by Sandy, the Occupy Wall Street movement (now Occupy Sandy) is said to be out-performing the Red Cross and FEMA. How could this be possible? First, Red Cross and FEMA have to deal with a lot of bureaucracy, while Occupy already has a network of organizers with access to local community groups. Second, Occupy Sandy asks for in-kind donations that people can actually give and use immediately. Third, Occupy had developed a community of trust so it was easy for them to unite quickly around a common need. Fourth, the shared leadership style of Occupy is ideal for affording communities the ability to stand on their own.
One of the more creative ideas is the use of Internet to focus outside giving on actual needs through an Amazon Wedding Registry. It has gone viral, a great example of the wider community supporting one another.
Another interesting observation is that New Jersey had not been doing Occupy Wall Street, so there was no infrastructure in place. But InterOccupy (facebook) put out a call for assistance and received a great response.
In a subsequent post I hope to come back and address the role of government (both federal, and state and local), non-governmental agencies (large and small), insurance companies, and private business in relief and recovery efforts. But today I want to admit that Occupy Sandy has proven me wrong about neighbor helping neighbor in disasters of overwhelming proportions.
- Read more:
- SmartPlanet
- Slate
- New York Times
- Reader Supported News
- USA Today
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