Disaster, Emotional Toll and Occupy Sandy

As our assignment glides to a close I have been spending some time pondering the totality of the catastrophe, the mission we were assigned ,  our successes and my own internal reactions, emotions and spiritual insights.

Witnessing entire communities having been wiped away is never easy. From New Jersey north along the coast dozens of communities are beyond restoration. While the human spirit is courageous, the many calls for these burgs to rise like a Phoenix have little basis in reality. Homes inundated with sea water, standing uninhabited for more than two weeks have little chance of being salvaged.  My heart bleeds for those experiencing such privation.

Our teams mission was to assist the Primary National response organization in their Community Relations missions. Nearly 2,000  “CR” individuals fanned out across New York. These individuals conducted damage assessments, reported emergency needs to responders and helped victims begin the process of applying for aid. Mostly we organized these teams, created infrastructure insuring their care and safety and created accountability for the teams. This mission was office based in a room with hundreds of other disaster responders, a room that became known as “the boiler room. As a team we also conducted daily briefings covering Safety, Logistics, finance, mission assignments and daily priorities for all responders.

Being removed from the front lines for most of the assignment strains ones ability to remain mission focused. Sixteen hour days become very long when one is unable to maintain an emotional connection to what is being accomplished. The success’ that my team are so accustomed to experiencing were beyond our control during this assignment as all actions, plans and expenditures were subject to the approval of the federal agency for which we were working. While this agency is full of committed and caring individuals their systems, structure and ability to respond quickly were proven to be ineffective during this event. For those asking themselves why I am not using the name of this organization: frankly it is because I want to keep my job. Suffice it to say four letters seems apropos. It is sad that so little has changed since Katrina.

As for me personally, the disaster, working in New York City and the red tape frustrations have all combined to make this a very challenging assignment. The level of destruction drives me to be of help in any way I can, blurring my personal boundaries that lead to self care. While many may love NY, I find it oppressive, Gaia has been paved, shaped, and abused to a point where I have not seen dirt or a healthy plant in days. As I look to the sky all is glass, brick and stone, oppressive clouds barley visible. My spirit yearns for nature and my connection to the Goddess.

Some of the most inspiring moments at this event have been the images of and discussions around the activities of Occupy Sandy. Many of the images show these Occupy volunteers working at places of worship serving those in need. This convergence of social assistance, activism and faith is inspiring to me and gives me hope for the future of our nation. Suddenly groups who would have never considered working together are discovering the humanity of those whom they previously have labeled as the other, separate and apart from. They best of humanity is on display in New York.

Some of the photos from our assignment follow, Blessings to all who support this response,