I was wondering, if Y2K should be rough, do any of you intend to help out in your community? Use special skills (such as first aid, counseling, etc...) or donate time, shelter, or food?

I'd probably donate my time, and what first-aid skills I have. Probably would house up a few people (elderly or children) too, though I don't have much food.

-- Deb M. (vmcclell@columbus.rr.com), November 19, 1999

Answers

Deb,

You suggested that if y2k is rough!

I seriously doubt that if y2k is rough, anyone that did prepare would want to even begin the process of assisting the masses that did nothing.

Now if it is a bump than---of course!!

-- db (dciinc@aol.com), November 19, 1999.

No. Why should I offer assistance to the cattle who were too stupid to prepare for themselves?

Regards,

Irving

-- Irving (irvingf@myremarq.com), November 19, 1999.

My website, my postings on Y2K discussion forums, my FTF conversations with DGIs, and moving away from a populated area before rollover (so I'm not part of what follows) are my main contributions to my community re Y2K. Now, post-crash, once the killing and stealing largely stop, and people who will work only as free men are welcome again, then I have lots of ideas of ways to contribute. These begin with the skills I have, my hands and back, and the piles of technical books I own ala Heinlein's "Farnham's Freehold". No working under the total socialism North-Korea style Executive Orders for me, thank you.

www.y2ksafeminnesota.com

-- MinnesotaSmith (y2ksafeminnesota@hotmail.com), November 19, 1999.

I have a commitment to my community. That's what makes a community a community, rather than packs of snarling survivalists who don't give a damn about anyone else. Whether they Get It beforehand or not, of things get tough we'll need each others' skills and help.

-- Firemouse (firemouse@fcmail.com), November 19, 1999.

I'm a registered disaster services worker with local OES...Yes I'll try and help out whatever happens. I'll donate my time and skills, have a little food in my van for any shelter I end up working (enough to feed a handful of folks until local R/C gets their head out of their..."sand"). Not going to cut into my preps though....my son is dependant on them too and this thing won't be over for many months. He deserves the benefit from them much more than some fool who didn't take responsibility for their own well being.

-- Don Kulha (dkulha@vom.com), November 19, 1999.

I will definitely help my community, as will others that live in my area. In my case, Y2K preparation was easy, for others this is not always the case. I know for a fact that IF we experience problems of any nature, my community will share resources. I also believe there are many that are preparing, although they may not be making a big deal about it. There are enough people in my community that have fireplaces, wood stoves, generators, to take care of those who do not. I live in Saskatchewan, Canada and it gets mighty cold here during January & February. Although it appears that disruptions to power are not as likely as many believed earlier, I still have to factor human err into the possiblilities, as well as the risks of disruption to and within the oil industry. Also, we can have electricity/power but that does not necessarily mean we will have heat!

-- Val (vjones@cableestevan.com), November 19, 1999.

I will help anyone and everyone I can; before, during, and after so long as it is in my power to do so.

-- Damon Devine (ddevine@impulse.net), November 20, 1999.

From: Y2K, ` la Carte by Dancr (pic), near Monterey, California

In my first post to this forum, on June 11th, I told what I was doing to help prepare my neighborhood. Here's an update to that post.

Since then, I've also partly installed a solar power system (remaining parts are on their way), to run a refrigerator. Many of my neighbors are elderly and some of them may require refrigerated medications. Tomorrow, I think I'll order a huge fresnel lense, in case we need to turn somebody's car into 100 shovels. (First I have to do a quick check to see if a friend has one cuz they're exPENsive!).

I'll probably make a lending library of my survival books. Note to self, get some of those library book pockets.

Here's something that I wrote about preparing for the down and out, for a thread that got deleted:

Catherine: Y2K preparations can end up helping folks to actually save money. If they plan ahead just a little bit and purchase food in bulk, they can end up saving money as compared to stopping off at MacDonalds. One stumbling block is that many box stores require costly memberships. If you, or your organization were to purchase a membership, perhaps you could accompany your clients to the store, so that they could avoid this high start-up cost.

It would be helpful if welfare agencies would set up food storage packing facilities. Folks could come in and contribute by helping to pack food for storage, and thus get a break on price for buckets of flour, rice, etc. Classes on how to make tasty meals from these basics would probably also be appreciated. I know I could use some. -- August 30, 1999.

Lately, I've been working to develop local Community Supported Agriculture [CSA]. I joined a going concern which is about 20 miles away by car. I'm not too sure they'll be in good shape if there are troubles getting water. I think I've convinced another farm that is five miles away to do a CSA, but they would want their members to come pick up their produce boxes. Meanwhile, I'm buying from them, too, in order to have more opportunities to talk to the owners. I'm also working with a third farmer, only two miles away, who is eager to set up a sustainable CSA on his self sufficient 50 acres (half level), and needs help with that.

As a result, I'm ending up with far more produce than my family can use, and am giving more than half of it away to needy friends, while urging them also to stock up. I only hope that at least one of these farmers will come through for us next year. If more do, then we'll have food to share next year, too.

Other than that, the only thing I can think of left to do is maybe throw a New Year's Eve party and invite the entire neighborhood. Of course, most people won't come. Many will not even be in town, I assume. I was just thinking that IF the power goes out, without seeming to be stirring up a panic, it would be nice to have everyone in one place, in order to agree to meet there again in case the power hasn't come back on by, say nightfall on New Year's Day. I just haven't convinced myself that I'm up to planning a party... (not really having ever done that before to speak of). Does anybody remember Mary Richards' party, when the lights went out?

-- Dancr (addy.available@my.webpage), November 20, 1999.

Deb, I don't want to sound trite but the first and best way to help your community is to be prepared to take care of yourself and your immediate family. Then work to extend those preparations to include members of your extended family in the local area. After that extend to your nearest neighbors.

If you can manage that level of effort then you have truly helped your community's efforts. When yourself and your family, Gramma, Granpa, Uncle Hal and your neighbors on either side of you are not in line at some community Y2K activity because you're leading and helping provide for your circle you have increased your community's Y2K efforts by that much. Consider is something like the old WWII "Block Captain" concept.

Your efforts don't have to mean you will take care of all those people. It could just mean that those folks can simply turn to you for answers that would otherwise require someone in an official capacity to answer. Any workload taken off of local officials means they can handle whatever problems arise more easily.

If you can be the source of information on how to purify water from a stream, how much to get per person each day, how to dig latrine and then build an outhouse over it or how to make use of traditionally non-human food such as animal feed corn. "You grind it in a coffee can with a piece of pipe? Where did you learn that?"

Beyond this sort of personal, lowest level assistance there will surely be a need and calls for volunteers at official duties. What you do in your personal efforts will likely mean that you will be cnsidered for more than simply being "just another warm body" when it comes to any officialy sanctioned community action you may become involved in.

WW

-- Wildweasel (vtmldm@epix.net), November 20, 1999.