Greensboro, North Carolina is currently recovering from the largest natural disaster to ever hit the city of 270,000 people, but as snippets from local media and social media point out, the bigger disaster might be the shape the city was in before the tornado hit. How will a city in which so many were already suffering possibly find the means to rebuild its poorest communities?
How many poor homeowners will end up losing their homes altogether?
"But nobody comes for Acts of Man. Just Acts of God." -Gwen Frisbie-Fulton, Shout out to the community response to the tornado; on Facebook
That quote was the inspiration for this article.
"According to the Greensboro Housing Hub, more than half of Greensboro households are low-income." --Nancy McLaughlin, House condemned: 'What happens to people like me?' Greensboro News & Record
Think about that. What kind of city allows more than half of their population to remain poor while going on spending sprees for things the citizens neither want nor need?
"In addition, Contreras said 16 schools in the system are without electricity. Alternate locations will be set up for students who depend on the schools for their meals." --The Associated Press via WRAL, The Latest: More than 33,000 without power after storms
As of November 2017 Guilford County Schools served 32,000 breakfasts and 44,500 lunches daily. That includes summer vacation too. Locally our lower than average drop out rates can probably be attributed to free meals being available to qualifying students up to 18 years old.
"Ya’ll, this is coming from a place of gratitude and love - NO MORE BOTTLED WATER! Literally, our cups runneth over! All areas currently have all the water they can use right now." Greensboro City Councilwoman Michelle Kennedy on Facebook
I couldn't help but wonder how much money was wasted on bottled water that simply wasn't needed. I watched truck loads of bottled water get delivered to places where no one wanted it only to be carried home by volunteers at the end of the day to make room for things that were needed. Relief efforts require more than volunteers, relief efforts require government to manage the volunteers. Otherwise, why have government at all?
"Pence says FEMA is assessing the damage and evaluating the level of impact in the area in an effort to show that people are not alone.
"I'm here to assure the people of this community and of North Carolina that we are with you," Pence said." Fox8 Vice President Mike Pence tours parts of Greensboro that were devastated by tornado
I promise, those statements will come back to bite the Vice President. After all, like every other vice president he has no power to keep his promises. That is, unless something happens to Trump.
“We have to keep in mind that our residents are living in a war zone,” said Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan about the damage. “Today everyone is grateful to be alive, as we’re grateful for them to be alive.” --Yasmine Regester, Carolina Peacemaker Community comes together in tornado aftermath
Mayor Vaughan had long been twisting the life out of Greensboro's working class communities being the first mayor in many years to run up a budget deficit while increasing taxes. If anything else goes wrong with relief operations she'll probably not be so grateful.
Oops!
"We came across a friendly neighbor who had been in his home for days. He hadn't eaten for a couple of days. He could barely get to the door," Lowe said." WFMY News 2 Volunteers Help Elderly Tornado Victim Who Hadn't Eaten in Days
You see, this one really hits home with me as my 85 year old, elderly mother and I live nearby and not one person has ever knocked on our doors. Momma doesn't drive anymore and she isn't able to walk to the places where food is being prepared. Our electricity was out until Wednesday night but what if it had been out longer? What if my mother had no one to care for her? Thankfully I was able to go out and get food but how many were not?
And why was no one from the City of Greensboro tasked with making sure every home was checked and rechecked?
Seems sometimes they don't even come for the acts of God.
