Finding Community in Technical Communication
Posting this email on the third day of the latest San Diego firestorm, which has undoubtedly affected many members of the San Diego chapter of STC.
On Monday, I stopped by Qualcomm Stadium with a small donation of blankets and pillows, and was overwhelmed by the enormous generosity of San Diego residents who were streaming into Gates N and P with armloads of food, water, pet food and crates, shade shelters and popup tents, and many other essential items. Dozens of others folks lined up to give blood at one of the San Diego Blood Bank's trailers. Many of these folks had never before donated, but found that today they had the desire to give whatever might help. Medical workers, psychologists, and even one clown showed up to help and to entertain the evacuees.
Today I received two emails from different realtor friends, both offering housing assistance to anyone who is having to live at Qualcomm Stadium or at another evacuation site, either due to losing their home to one of the many fires currently raging, or who has had to abandon their home under evacuation orders.
Perhaps it would behoove us, as a society of professionals, to discuss ways in which we might play a part in future disasters that will undoubtedly affect our communities. This STC-SD blog is a very new tool, so I understand that it will take some time to get this discussion started. Let me invite you, member or visitor, to take a few minutes to think and then reply to this tickler posting. What services could we offer our fellow citizens that might ease the burdens imposed by a disaster, whatever form that event might take?
= Mike McGraw =
= Staff technical writer at Qualcomm =
On Monday, I stopped by Qualcomm Stadium with a small donation of blankets and pillows, and was overwhelmed by the enormous generosity of San Diego residents who were streaming into Gates N and P with armloads of food, water, pet food and crates, shade shelters and popup tents, and many other essential items. Dozens of others folks lined up to give blood at one of the San Diego Blood Bank's trailers. Many of these folks had never before donated, but found that today they had the desire to give whatever might help. Medical workers, psychologists, and even one clown showed up to help and to entertain the evacuees.
Today I received two emails from different realtor friends, both offering housing assistance to anyone who is having to live at Qualcomm Stadium or at another evacuation site, either due to losing their home to one of the many fires currently raging, or who has had to abandon their home under evacuation orders.
Perhaps it would behoove us, as a society of professionals, to discuss ways in which we might play a part in future disasters that will undoubtedly affect our communities. This STC-SD blog is a very new tool, so I understand that it will take some time to get this discussion started. Let me invite you, member or visitor, to take a few minutes to think and then reply to this tickler posting. What services could we offer our fellow citizens that might ease the burdens imposed by a disaster, whatever form that event might take?
= Mike McGraw =
= Staff technical writer at Qualcomm =
Labels: community, disaster, professionalism
