Guests in our community

No, I haven't abandoned the blog, just either too busy or haven't had much to say lately. Hey, I never promised I'd post every day, or even every month.

Right now I want to take a moment to welcome the many guests arriving in Austin and Central Texas from New Orleans and other areas impacted by Hurricane Katrina. Guests, and not "refugees," is what we want you to feel like during your stay here. Some of you will become permanent members of our community, and most of you will be here for many weeks or months. All of you are welcome. In fact, having met a few of you this weekend, I have a feeling that you will bring something new and beautiful here and end up giving back more to this community than we could ever hope to give you. You are strong and beautiful people.

For Austinites still looking for a way to help, the Red Cross is offering disaster relief training that will make you a more effective volunteer -- e-mail belightheart@centex.redcross.org with "Disaster Relief Request" in the subject line and your contact info in the message body.
To volunteer with the Red Cross, call (512) 928-4271 -- but be aware that they've been swamped with volunteers and you may end up on a waiting list, especially if you're only available on weekends.
One group that has been putting volunteers to work immediately is Katrina Help Austin, which focuses on finding host families for evacuees and collecting donations of food, clothing, and other supplies.