Some Disasters Compel Us to Give

Some Disasters Compel Us to Give: "Some Disasters Compel Us to Give
Some Disasters Compel Us to Give

By Jacqueline L. Salmon
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, November 6, 2005; Page F01

Disaster strikes -- a hurricane, a flood, a tsunami, a terrorist attack. People die. Buildings are destroyed. Communities are devastated. What do you do? If you're like millions of Americans, you reach for your wallet. And you give. And give. And give.

More than $2 billion in private donations for victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. More than $1.5 billion for those affected by the devastating tsunami that swept through Southeast Asia at the end of last year. And last week, donations to the victims of hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit $2.2 billion."