Superdome and Qualcomm Stadium

I received an email today asking me if the Chargers Stadium (Qualcomm) was like the New Orleans Super Dome. Here is part of my reply.

It couldn't be less like the Super Dome if you could imagine that. I volunteered at the Salvation Army emergency relief station and people who were coming up for everything from clothes to toothbrushes and toothpaste could not be more gracious or grateful. I would say 1 in 100 had a bad attitude and we saw thousands of people. At its height there were about 12,000 people staying there. We had so many supplies it was almost comical.

(By the way, the picture I found randomly online actually has our station in the picture. If you look in the background you will see the back of my head. I am wearing a dark blue shirt. I organized all those diapers that you see in the background. That was only a small portion of what we had at the beginning of the day!)

It is almost a festival type atmosphere there. They have teachers volunteering to offer kids activities in a safe zone (they are even screening the teachers before allowing them to work with the kids). There were table set up for free massages and acupuncture. Several companies had free internet and cell phone use to anywhere in the country. There was grief counseling and I saw signs for AA meetings. There were impromptu orchestras putting up signs for a little music practice and concert. There is face painting, balloons for the kids and comedians putting on shows.

FEMA was right on the spot, there is a police and military presence second to none, and ample supplies. The insurance companies all have booths set up to help process the claims.

I think there are a number of reasons for the difference.

1. The tragedy didn't affect everyone in San Diego. 1 in 5 people were evacuated but that made 4/5th of the people who were unaffected and able to help.

2. Without sounding racist, I think that those displaced here were higher education and income. They have the means to recover and not slip into a helpless victim mindset. They know things can and will get better so they are not angry at the system.

3. The government (local, state, and federal) learned from Katrina and the Super Dome. I think that in that tragedy as with this one that it starts with the local politicians and moves out to state then federal. The federal government is like trying to move a mountain. To expect them to be nimble and immediately responsive is to misunderstand the role or effectiveness in government. It reminds me of when I was a kid and we approached a mega church about doing an outreach. They told us if we started planning now it could happen in 12 to 18 months.

4. Interestingly, it was the Christian community that moved in force to step in and help. I walked around and talked to high school students and adults and the vast majority were from Bible believing churches. It seemed like at every volunteer organization from Red Cross to Salvation Army to everything in between when I asked them why they came out they were a part of a youth group, church or ministry.

5. Finally, there was an outpouring of help that staggers the imagination. People drove to Target or Wal Mart and bought hundreds of dollars of supplies. So much so the police had to turn them away for a while on Tuesday because there was an hour wait to get into the stadium and traffic was too backed up. Cars, vans and trucks waited for hours to get in. They were afraid that there were so many donors that the evacuees couldn't get in!

I have to tell you my heart swelled with pride at being an American that day! This is what people will do if they have an opportunity and know a need in a tragedy. America is still the most generous, most compassionate nation on this planet. I say that knowing that statistics bare this out. We often only look at government donations to relief efforts around the world. But when you add in private direct donations to relief efforts we blow the rest of the world away! Don’t let the media tell you otherwise.

I'll go back today again just to make sure they don't need anymore help. I've been there the last two days so I do need to get some church stuff done. Our church wasn’t affected so that allowed us to help others.

I may take my camera today (which I forgot the last two days) and take pictures.

Sincerely,

Dave

P.S. There were some negative stories of people trying to take advantage of the situation. Driving their cars in and filling up with donated supplies. Then there is the looting. Sad but it reminds me that sinful people will always find ways to do evil, even in a tragedy.