Back to normal, sort of

Here in Portland, it's sunny and warm for February. Camellias are in bloom, and lots of little flowers and bushes are budding out with new leaves.

I've been helping process all the donations in support of Haiti — we've had tons of volunteers, and even hired some temporary help to keep up with the donations. It's been a tremendous outpouring of support as well as the highest number of gifts in our history.

Today, though, I broke down all the extra workstations in the gift processing area and cleaned up many of the signs of our response to the Haiti earthquake.

While I'm enjoying "getting back to normal," I keep thinking about the people in Haiti. How, even after this disaster has faded from the headlines, after our work here in the U.S. returns to our usual volume, everyone's lives in Haiti are not going to be normal for a very long time.

It's part of what inspires me about working for Mercy Corps — we stay for a long time, helping folks rebuild their lives. Many many people in Haiti will be dealing with the aftermath of the earthquake for years to come. And Mercy Corps will be right there alongside them, helping out.