Why didn't the rest of the country respond this way?

Our mayor got a call from our Governor saying, "Can you take some of these people?"
Our mayor said, "Send them, and any others you need."
We went from a request to house 35 to housing 1,500 and are still making room for more.
Hours later the city council met with community leaders and the reports make me very proud.

"I can provide 20,000 meals with our agency resources, and I've taken the liberty of contacting some local business men who are providing more."

From the school district, "We are looking into opening a school at the center, and are prepared to admit the children without the normal paperwork requirements. Our goal is to get their lives back to normal as quickly as possible."

"Please tell people that yes, we want their clothing, but hang onto them for a few days until we get the folks settled in."

"We've been overwhelmed with calls from people excited about helping. Can we set up an office to direct these people so that they can help."

"The Chamber met and we are prepared to provide financial assistance, of course, but we've already a few refugees contact us about assistance in finding work. We want the council to know that the business community is going to focus on finding employment for these people so they will be able to start on with their new lives."

Why didn't other governors pick up the phones and personally tap people on the shoulder?

 

El Guero,

It is Lubbock. We're so far away we didn't expect to be called on, but we're glad we were. We have a closed air base here that the city uses for a lot of other things. It has base housing and things.

The news tonight said that Texas is taking in 150,000.

The Astrodome has about 13,000, Dallas and Austin and San Antonio are taking about 25,000 each. Beaumont is taking some of them. They're scattering them all over the state. The governor is from around here, and the President grew up just a few hours away from here.

 

Joseph,

I heard that Arkansas and Georgia are about to buckle under the load, but they aren't complaining, so my hats are definately off to these wonderful people.

 

Last night NBC's cable network carried the story of a Christian man who loaded up a van full of water, ice, and food from his local stores, drove it down to New Orleans himself and started going door-to-door checking for people who were still inside damanged homes.

He found one couple where the man had passed away and the wife had written notes on the wall telling people how to contact her family if she were to be found deceased. He helped her move the body outside, and held a funeral service for her.

When they asked the reporter what agency he was with the reporter said, "None. He is just a private citizen who said Christ would have wanted him to do this."

 

I wondered about Tennessee. I just assumed that was where the majority of the SBC people who arrived came from.