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When I first saw the images of New Orleans immediately after Hurricane Katrina, my heart went numb with
the stinging sensations of disbelief and grief. The massive flooding, the video of residents stranded on
rooftops, the reports of the great loss of life, and the feeling of helplessness on my part rendered me
mentally and emotionally immobile. I can remember thinking, "Wow, there is nothing that I can do to
reverse their fate."
I experienced similar paralysis after 9/11 (although not a natural disaster), the Tsunami in Indonesia, the
scare of Hurricane Rita, and now the earthquake in Haiti. Yet, I realize that I am not helpless. Although I
may not be able to reverse the loss of life, I can make an impact on the fate of those who survived. I can
do something to ensure that all the children suddenly left without parents or guardians transition into new
environments that offer them a sense of family. I can offer support to ensure that the families who
instantly find themselves without a home successfully pursue life in a new direction.
After the cycles of Nature cause such human devastation, many people—myself included—often ask: if
there is a God who is supposed to be all-loving and all-merciful, why does He allow such things to happen?
I am a firm believer in the notion that everything happens for a reason. Although I cannot fathom the
reason for such events with my limited human understanding, I like to believe that God wants to see if we
can unite as a people on a basic human level and help a brother or sister in need.
I am always amazed at how the world pulls together immediately after a natural disaster but the event
seems to fade to the background overtime. Yet, those affected by the disaster are still in need of so much
support. Therefore, at God's urging, I am establishing the New Directions Family Fund to provide such
support to families affected by natural disasters after the immediate relief efforts run their course.
While 5% of our total funding is a modest amount to start, I hope that the Coalition will be able to
increase its efforts as our organization grows. Nonetheless, each small difference that our support makes
will show others that we as individuals and as a people are more powerful than we may first believe.
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— Sapphire Jule King, Founder
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