Wanting to help

My South Texas city is supposed to be taking in around 3,000 refugees from the storm, but it looks like we are sharing some with the rest of the region so it may be fewer who stay. Several of my staff have already been called in to work the shelters and have worked long, grueling shifts, but I have not been called yet. As a nursing mom, I have a waiver from emergency services duty which is why I am not on one of the shelter teams that were trained for hurricane duty and are now doing refugee duty, but the waiver was designed for different conditions. I can certainly help with this between nursings! It is driving me and the other staff who have not yet been called in a little crazy not to be at the shelters helping when we know the others are getting so tired. The City knows we want to help, though, and where to reach us. I have to believe that they know what they are doing in activating only some people at a time...because it is true...there is going to be a lot to do for a very long time. I am sure we will all get plenty of turns. Still, it is frustrating. I know it would not help to just show up over there, they have told us not to...so I wait. I have been carrying my pager and cell around all weekend. In the meantime, we have taken a donation over to the Red Cross and are scrabbling things together to take to Good Will. I have put together a care package to send to a family I know of who had to evacuate New Orleans and bunk with their relatives...that's about all I can think of to do. Except pray. We pray.