Wayne County cares: Gestures demonstrate concern for storm victims

Sixty dollars might not seem like much, not when tractor-trailer loads of food and supplies are headed to New Orleans to help victims of Hurricane Katrina.

That amount of money won’t buy a family a house or even four dinners and all the fixings at some of Goldsboro’s restaurants.

So, why is it so touching that the little children at D.S. Simmons Academy at Deeper Life Christian Ministries Inc. handed over a check for $60 to the Toussaint family, one of many evacuees who have taken refuge in Wayne County as repair work begins in their hometowns?

Because that is what children do.

Some of the purest actions come from the hands and minds of children with no other intention other than helping others.

And that is exactly what these little ones did.

They saw the hurricane coverage, although they probably did not understand everything that was going on, and they felt sorry for the people in the pictures. They heard their parents talking about all the destruction, and they were concerned, too.

They understood the families needed food, water and shelter. They knew their homes were gone and their families were separated.

Their classmate told them what it was like to be there.

But they also added their own touches. They wanted to provide the essentials, too, like Spaghetti-O’s and bananas.

And that is what makes their gift special — it came from the heart.

There are many, many stories of how young people in Wayne County have stepped up to the plate and sent love and supplies to those hit by Hurricane Katrina.

And there are thousands of dollars worth of supplies and donations speeding their way to the coast even as we speak, all provided by volunteers and donors of all ages.

This community should be proud of the largest and the smallest gifts that were sent to New Orleans and Mississippi. They are an example of what a community of people can do when borders do not define their caring.

Wayne County has made a difference in many big and small ways since the hurricane.

And that includes making sure families have Spaghetti-O’s.

Published in Editorials on September 23, 2005 10:46 AM