When tragedy strikes, we are confronted with strong emotions; we also are afforded an opportunity to channel those emotions to make a difference. After the horror of hate at the Pulse nightclub, people in Orlando are joining forces to help. Lines of people are waiting to donate blood as a way to be a beacon of hope and service.
How do we, in the P
acific Northwest, choose to respond? What can we do that aligns with our value of ethical leadership? This morning at LEADPrep, we discussed these questions. Two ideas we will act on:
1) We choose to not respond to hate with hate or blame. Following the example of great world leaders, we will counter this tragedy with love and service. Ethical leaders make a positive difference.
2) We choose a year-end power surge effort to collect money to serve King County homeless in response to the Orlando tragedy. We are using the new app WeCount. From our ongoing outreach at the New Horizon teen shelter, we know that many LGBTQ youth end up homeless. Our service has allowed us a chance to meet some of these brave and vulnerable teens, so this is the population we choose to support to respond to the Orlando tragedy.
WeCount provides specific King County homeless people with supplies they need. It makes this service immediate and personal. “White gold” (socks) is often at the top of this list. Details for the WeCount app: www.wecount.org and www.kplu.org/post/homeless-web-app-connects-those-need-what-they-need
Anybody can use a tragedy to blame or hate. Let’s find ways, especially in times of darkness, to shine love and hope.
