TENNESSEE SUPPORT

The floodwaters are receding, leaving devastation in it's wake.  A total of 30 people have died in Tennessee, Kentucky and Mississippi from the storms and flooding of the past week.  The attention of the country, however, has been focused on the Gulf oil spill and the Times Square terror plot.  It's past time to turn our attention to fellow countrymen in need.  Now that the waters are receding, the cleanup is starting, and these people need help.  FEMA is in crisis mode right now, but, unfortunately, the crisis is internal.   Hard to believe there is a government entity right now that is short on funds, but such is the case with FEMA. 

So now it's time for We the People to do what we do so well.  Help.  We are the most generous, compassionate country in the world, and now it's time to step up and show our  fellow citizens just how big our hearts are.  Times are tough, it's true, but money isn't the only thing that you can donate.

Help the people of Tennessee, if you can.  Their spirit is impressive (via CNN):

"We have no choice but to solve this problem, and we're going to solve it with enthusiasm and try to have fun doing it. We have some hurdles to cross, but we've already gotten across quite a few," Nashville resident Russ Hazelton told CNN. "We'll see what the next few days bring."

Here's how you can give:

The American Red Cross

The Salvation Army

Nashville Humane Society

Please give what you can, whether it be cash, clothing, food or donating blood.   I put in a link to the Humane Society because, as we learned from Katrina, disasters like this don't just affect humans, they affect our furry family members, too. 

There are plenty of local groups that are taking donations as well:

News Channel 9 has a donation hotline set up.

The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee has a donation center as well.

Please give what you can.