Ice Storms and How you can help

As you may have heard, the Northeast has been particularly hard hit by ice storms Thursday morning. Thousands of people are still without power in upper state New York, Central and Western Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont, including my very own parents. If you're lucky enough to have electricity and be reading this blog entry, here are a few ideas for things you can do to help:

1. Make some food, and bring it to a shelter or to a friend/family in need. Not only are these people cold, they're probably hungry too! If you have a gas stove, you're fortunate... but if not, Triscuits and peanut butter get old fast.

2. Buy or make your own gallons of clean, drinkable water, and bring them to a shelter or a friend in need. Rural houses typically are not on town water, and rely on wells.... which have an electric pump.

3. Call 617-274-5325 or visit the Red Cross site where you can register to become a trained responder volunteer during times of crises. Then you'll be able to help when storms like this one strike.

Below is a list of shelters operated by the Red Cross of Massachusetts, and a complete list of New Hampshire shelters can be found on the Concord NH Red Cross site. Other shelters may also be open, operated privately by churches or other groups.

Shelter Name	Address	City/Town	State	Zip
Amesbury Middle School	222 Main Street	Amesbury	MA	01913
Lowell High School	50 Father Morissette Blvd.	Lowell	MA	01852
Comprehensive Grammar School	100 Howe Street	Methuen	MA	01844

And finally, read these post-storm tips from the MA state government to prevent further mishap.

It's the holidays, peeps. Do a little something to help your neighbors and fellow citizens out. Perhaps I'll follow my own advice and bring my parents some food, though they're luckier than most and have a generator...

Related Posts: If they can give, you can too; Disasters, Crises, and Donating Blood; Food prices are rising, here's how to keep your dough
Photo courtesy of StreamingMeeMee.