No one is immune from disaster. Just like your owl observer, you can fly by our various services here to see how we in Limestone County respond to doom laden tornadoes, fires, gunfire or explosions.

Our police, rescue teams, Red Cross, Emergency Management Center and our fire departments spring immediately to mind. But then, once the fire is extinguished, the tornado has passed, the bullets stopped flying or the explosion is over, the consequences remain. Who will take care of those traumatized by these events?

Let’s take one wonderful, shining example of how trauma treatment of those harmed by disaster in faraway Hawaii is being dealt with by Alabamians. Everyone now is aware of the monumental fire that leveled, indeed incinerated, Lahaina, on the island of Maui, Hawaii. We know that an Alabamian, the Rev. Kerry Holder Joffrion, is now there as the Maui Relief Response Coordinator for the Episcopal Church. Throughout the years, Joffrion has been active for years in local interfaith circles. She brought this spirit of cooperation and collegiality to the islands. Joffrion now teams with other religious traditions to do unto others what we’d like them to do for us, should the roles be reversed. She knows disasters.

“I got the call because of my work with EF5 tornadoes in north Alabama and my work with Episcopal Relief during the tornado disasters we’ve experienced in the last 10 years at home,” she said.

Long after the horrific events, and after the cameras have moved on to another disaster, victims who can barely function remain. The injured, the mentally affected, the lost and the lonely are there, hoping for some help — any help.

Look again. More Alabamians in the Veterans of Foreign Wars, VFW Post 2702, are responding to Joffrion’s call to help our fellows who are suffering. The Post is located in Huntsville, at 2900 North Memorial Parkway Frontage Road, Huntsville, AL, 35801. They’ll be collecting the items listed above until Sept. 14, Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The list of supplies they need donated is surprising. Where the first list is expected, some of the other items are not. You can see here the wise hand of someone who knows the pains, fears, even terrors of those caught up in disaster. Perhaps a donated teddy bear is what is needed by that scared little kid who doesn’t know where his mommy or daddy are.

Top priority needs

Tarps: small and medium size

Tents: small and pop-up open wall shelter

Tent stakes

Flashlights or head lamps with batteries

Camping lantern: solar or battery powered

50-100 ft nylon rope

Towels/washcloths

Sheets/pillow cases

Stuffed animals: new- 14 inch or less in size

Board shorts: various sizes

Underwear: various sizes-packaged

Flip flops: various sizes

Bandanas

Important additional items needed

Mental health and child needs

Items are needed to help foster coping skills and trauma recovery for children and adults. This list also includes some items the children need for returning to school.

Coloring books

Notebooks/journals

Crayons

Colored pencils

Ink pens

School glue

Stuffed animals: new, 14 inches or less in size)

Medical and personal care needs

Antibiotic ointment

Gauze wraps

Bandage tape

Saline eye drops

Bug spray: non-aerosol)

Sanitary pads/tampons

Paper towels

Toilet paper

Antibacterial wipes

Tylenol/ibuprofen: small containers

Stocked toiletries bags: travel size items of bar soap, body wash, shampoo/conditioner, toothpaste, toothbrush/floss, lip balm, razor, non-aerosol deodorant, non-aerosol sun screen

Other

Gift cards to Walmart, Costco, Target and Home Depot will also be accepted.

Let’s try to save who we can. Let’s rescue those who survived, only to find themselves lost and alone. Rev. Kerry has appealed to all of us. She’s found the heart of our North Alabama “tornado alley” responsive, caring, and having a sense of urgency. This is urgent, please help. Drop off anything from the above list. Please send any checks or financial donations online to: https://www.episcopalhawaii.org/a-cup-of-cold-water.html.

Let’s remember those on the front lines, fighting a tough fight that will go on long after we’ve moved along in our own lives.

The Episcopal Church in Kauai has been hard at work trying to help with the supplies they have.

“Our team consisted of trauma hearty folks: a doctor, nurse, priest, engineer, vet tech and logistics person. We traveled with the 11-year-old Care Van and consolidated ministry of A Cup of Cold Water based in Wailuku at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church. We traversed Maui, including Lahaina, but also traveled in and out of the small and often unseen encampments evacuees and other unsheltered persons are creating. Many evacuees will not go to the larger FEMA sponsored shelters.

“We did small surgeries in the back hatch spaces of cars turned into homes, many burn and wound dressings, treated infections from cinders, did mental health psychiatric counseling, addressed abscesses in dog and cat molars, gave out Bibles, anointed the sick, prayed with the hopeless, helped set up camps, and shared the Gospel in a variation of forms. We played with fire evacuees who are children and looked at their pictures of former schools. We climbed trees with them.”

Have a heart. Help.