Practical Ways to Help after a Natural Disaster

We've all watched the latest natural disasters with horror. The devastation and destruction left by tornadoes and earthquakes is unimaginable. It seems like every time we turn around, another disaster occurs.

I felt helpless as I saw people in my own county lose everything they owned. What could be done to help them? FEMA and local authorities can only do so much. And even then, the "big" things like shelter and food are considered while other comforts are not.

When helping out our friends and hearing from others who had pitched in with clean-up efforts, I compiled a list of things to do to help. Some of these things aren't necessarily for survival, but they do make things a bit easier on people affected by natural disasters. You might not be able to rebuild a house, but these little things can bring comfort to people who are in need.

1. Offer to babysit. Children are naturally curious and digging around in a pile of debris is very alluring. Alluring and dangerous. While a family is struggling to find any remainders of their life in a heap of rubble, they don't need to worry about their children getting hurt.

2. Donate storage containers. When they do find something salvageable, where can they put it? Volunteer to store their things until they can get a more permanent location.

3. Wash their clothes. Often disaster areas are without power or water so there's no way to clean salvaged clothes. They can mildew very quickly. If nothing is salvageable, take them shopping for basic necessities.

4. Buy a disposable camera and give it to the affected family. Often insurance companies require photographic proof of damage. But if the family's camera has been destroyed by the disaster, taking pictures is impossible. Get the pictures developed, too.

5. Keep bottled water handy. Cleaning up debris is hard work and takes a lot out of a person. Help yourself and the people you're assisting stay hydrated.

6. Bring along extra work gloves and sunscreen. No one wants to dig through debris without gloves and chances are, if they've lost everything else they won't find a pair of gloves lying around. Under a hot sun with little shade (cause the trees are gone), it doesn't take long to get sunburned, so the sunscreen will come in handy.

7. Fill a can of gas to supply generators or gas-powered equipment. With no electricity, this is very helpful. Our friends were able to save a freezer full of food by running a generator off and on until power was restored.

8. Buy several boxes of garbage bags. Believe me, there are never enough garbage bags when you're cleaning up the mess a tornado leaves behind. Other cleaning supplies are helpful, too - bleach, Clorox wipes, a wet-dry vac if you have one.

9. Put together a personal hygiene kit for the whole family. Toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, nail clippers, shampoo, soap, wash clothes - anything that will help them feel human again. Don't forget feminine products, too.

10. Home cooked meals and snack items are a huge blessing. It's stressful having to worry about what you're going to eat when everything's gone or the power is off for who knows how long. Having someone care enough to prepare a nutritious meal is a great encouragement.

No kindness is too small in situations like this. Don't let fear of doing the wrong thing keep you from doing anything.

For more tips and hints, visit We are THAT Family's Works for Me Wednesday.

White Chocolate Berry Pie

This no-bake pie is the perfect summer dessert. It's light and creamy and so tasty. You can use other berries besides strawberries - blueberries, raspberries, blackberries. You can even use peaches!

Click here for a printable recipe.

Here's what you need:

1 graham cracker crust
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup white chocolate chips, melted
1 cup whipped cream
sliced strawberries

In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar together until smooth.


Stir in the melted white chocolate, then fold in the whipped cream.


Spread the filling evenly in the pie crust. Top with the sliced berries.


To add a special touch, melt another tablespoon of white chocolate chips and drizzle over the pie.


Chill until ready to serve.

Menu Plan May 29-June 4

It's almost June! Wow! Is this year zooming by or what? We had a fantastic weekend with friends and church. Now on to a busy week.

Here's the plan:

Sunday
Leftover from Saturday's cookout

Monday
Pulled pork - slow cooker

Tuesday
Penne pasta with sausage

Wednesday
Sausage veggie calzones

Thursday
Enchiladas verdes, beans and rice

Friday
Pot roast with potatoes -slow cooker

Saturday
Homemade pizza

For more yummy menu ideas, visit Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday.

I Surprised My Husband!

I started planning this months ago. His fortieth birthday was approaching and I wanted to throw a party. But honestly, the logistics of getting several people over to the house or another location without him knowing was going to be a real obstacle.

Then he suggested that we have a cook-out for friends around Memorial Day. He suggested! I all too willingly agreed! The very people I would have invited to a surprise party were invited to join us for burgers and hot dogs. And of course, I told them all this would also serve as a surprise party. Everyone delightedly joined in the fun!

There was a minor glitch when he walked in while we were decorating with black balloons and over-the-hill banners. But he hadn't seen the best part - the cake! Made by my friend Paige, it has a red Prevost bus on the front, the exact same bus hubby used to drive for our church! He was thrilled with it!


The way his face lit up when he saw the cake made my whole evening! I love that man and am so glad God's given him forty years on this earth, thirteen of them with me.

Easy Freezer Jam

I remember the days when my grandma canned homemade jams and jellies. She'd boil jars and lids, cook down the fruit, add sugar, and use wax to seal the jars. It was a long, long process. And a hot one, too! Her kitchen was not air-conditioned and the heat from the stove made it almost unbearable. But still I look back on those days fondly.

When Ball came out with their BPA-free freezer containers along with a recipe for no-cook jam, I was in heaven! It couldn't be easier now to get the goodness of homemade jam without sweltering in the kitchen. The most difficult part is hulling the strawberries. No kidding.

Here's what you need:

4 cups of crushed berries
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 envelope of instant fruit pectin (sold right beside the containers)
5 (8 oz) freezer jars (or you could use glass jars that have been sterilized)

Mash up enough berries to equal four cups. You can make this chunky or smooth. I like mine a little chunky.


Mix the sugar and instant pectin together in a bowl.


Add the crushed berries and combine thoroughly.


Ladle the mixture into the jars, leaving a little room at the top.

Screw on the lids and you're done! Oh, don't forget to freeze. The jam will be good for up to three weeks in the fridge or a year in the freezer. I wouldn't know, because it never lasts that long around my house, but that's what the back of the pectin package says.


I love how these jars stack up nicely. Save so much room in the freezer! And you can use this same recipe for any kind of soft, crushable fruit. I can't wait for peach season!

Strawberry Picking!

This is how I spent my morning - picking delectable, juicy strawberries! The Princess and Mr. Lego ate as many as they put in their buckets, I think. And we still ended up with three full buckets!

Freshly picked berries are so sweet and delicious. I'll be sharing some yummy recipes as I use up these wonderful red delights - strawberry cobbler, strawberry pie, and freezer jam, too!

I love this time of year!

Bacon Cheeseburger Roll-up

We like cheeseburgers around here. Especially with bacon. Doesn't bacon make everything better? Except for your cholesterol! This recipe combines everything you like about cheeseburgers and wraps it up neatly into a yummy sandwich.

Here's what you need:

Dough for one pizza - I use my own homemade version or you could buy refrigerated dough like Pillsbury
1 lb ground beef or turkey, cooked and drained
2 TBSP ketchup
1 teas prepared mustard
1 teas pickle relish
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 teas onion powder
1/2 teas garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Combine the cooked beef or turkey with the ketchup, mustard, relish, bacon and seasonings.


Roll the pizza dough out onto a greased jelly roll pan. Spread the meat mixture over the dough, then sprinkle with the shredded cheese.



Starting with a long side, roll the dough up, tucking the sides in as you go.


Pinch the seams closed. Carefully turn the entire roll over so the seam side is down.


Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.


Slice diagonally into 8-10 slices.