Here are some thoughts about how you can help the displaced survivors of Katrina. Some ideas come from my experience as a doctor helping people in times of medical need; other ideas come from my own recent experience when my entire home and possessions were swept away by a house fire.

Give money. Think about your morning. Maybe you read the newspaper wrapped in your favorite robe, sipping coffee from the mug your child made for you. You clipped out an article and posted it on the fridge with the magnet you bought on a trip to the ocean. You wrote a reminder note to yourself in your day-timer and put a stamp on a bill. Then you scrambled eggs and cut a piece of melon and poured a glass of cold water from your bottled water dispenser. You took the dog for a walk, showered and changed your clothes.

Now imagine everything you physically touched vanished. You had to replace it all. The scissors, the coffee maker, the stamps, the fridge magnets, the pens, the leash, soap and laundry detergent and iron, toiletries and cosmetics. Then there’s the fridge and all of its contents as well as every spice in the house, pots and pans, plates and silverware. Sure you can get another robe and another coffee mug, but they’re not imbued with the feel and memories that make them special.

The expense and energy associated with rebuilding a life is mind-boggling. Right now the hurricane survivors need basics -- food, water, clothing. Their needs will change. Lives aren’t rebuilt in a week or a month. It takes time…and money…to replace the catastrophic losses. Give generously. Help your kids give some of their money. Continue to give generously when the hurricane news is no longer a constant presence in your life. Celebrate birthdays and anniversaries with a note that says a donation has been made in their name to help rebuild lives.

Listen to stories. I appreciate the chance to tell my story about the fire. I have told it many times, and with each time another layer of trauma heals. Maybe you can get to know a family who is displaced. Give them a call. Let the kids become their pen pals. Give those who have a story a safe place to tell an active and concerned listener. And be willing to listen to the story many times. You don’t have to fix anything. All you have to do is listen.

Tell survivors, “You are not alone.” I treasure the many gifts I received. A vase with flowers. Cool t-shirts for my son. Body lotions. Books and toys . They helped rebuild my shattered life. They also serve as an important reminder that I am not in this alone. I have the help of loving friends and a family and a larger community who cares about me even if they don’t know me personally. It makes me feel like we’re really all one large family.

Tell survivors, “You have made a difference in my life.” I feel better when I know that my own tragedy improves the lives of others. I have a warm feeling every time someone at the grocery store tells me, “I just replaced my clothes dryer after I heard what happened to you” or “Your house fire was a wake-up call. I finally got my family together and put our emergency plan on paper.” or “We installed smoke alarms.”

Here are some ways you can honor the losses of our extended family on the Gulf Coast:

Donate blood. While it’s true that your blood may not directly save a life of a hurricane victim, one pint of blood that you donate could save up to three lives.

Prepare for an emergency. Think about what you would take if you had an hour or a minute to evacuate your home. Know where your family will meet. Identify an out-of-state contact who will be the central communication source. Program an ICE “ In Case of Emergency” telephone number into your cell phone. Get emergency-preparedness kits for your home.

Get organized. Put important records in a single notebook file. My blue notebook that had all the information about my house (insurance policy numbers, bank account numbers and home maintenance information) proved highly valuable.

Protect your treasures. Put a digital disc or negatives of treasured photos or videos in the safe deposit box. Keep a back-up of the contents of your computer off-site.

Create an emergency plan for your medical needs. Keep a two-week supply of medication at home. Keep copies of your medical records. Get prescriptions filled at a chain pharmacy. Ask your doctor what to do in the event that you do not have enough medication.

Times of crisis offer opportunities to enter into the cycle of giving and receiving. It does not matter how you enter the cycle, because the boundary between giving and receiving is porous. Your own life is enriched by the chance to give to others. You can honor the loss of others by caring for yourself and those in your family and community. And in doing so you can trust that helping hands will be there for you, should you need it some day.

Vicki Rackner M.D. president of Medical Bridges, is a surgeon who left the operating room to help patients partner more effectively with their doctors. She's a speaker, author and consultant.

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