I received a call today from a college in Vermont. Their students want to go to the Gulf Coast, probably Mississippi or Louisiana, to help with the efforts to clean-up from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. They're planning on spending a week or so as part of their alternative spring break problem. Whoever calls this generation "the entitled generation" just doesn't understand how caring, giving, and involved they are in their communities.

The school called because I am a volunteer on the Board of Nechama: Jewish Response to Disaster. We've arranged for free housing, food, water, showers, toilets, and other basic necessities in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Although Nechama is a Jewish organization, many of our volunteers are not Jewish and we do not look at a victim's race, gender, religious affiliation, etc. when determining whether we can help them or not. We do not ask who they are. Instead, we ask how can we help. Which is exactly what these students from Vermont are asking.