I haven’t heard of many philanthropists in India and if there are, they are unheard of (to me, as I mentioned!). As usual, I was watching TV and flipping channels until I came across the daily dose of the ‘Oprah Winfrey show’.
The show was called ‘The Moving In Day’… Oprah and three other organizations helped Katrina-hit victims of New Orleans, Mississippi and Houston to restore their homes.
The stories narrated by these victims who were hit by Katrina were disturbing and moving to say the least. People had lost just almost everything, homes were destroyed, and family photographs lost forever, furniture destroyed beyond recognition, electronic items damaged and any memories associated with their home washed away with the floods that followed the hurricane.
As she interviewed some of the new residents (who would be moving into Angel street), I felt tears rolling down my cheeks. There was one particular interview of a middle-aged artist whose lifetime of work was destroyed and the only painting that was ‘restorable’ was of his wife’s. Yes, there was a romantic touch to it and it appealed to the die-hard romantic in me. Maybe they are meant to be for life J. God works in mysterious ways and shows you light of the day. And true love is forever.
All those who would be moving into the new community were involved in building it with their own hands. With the help of 30,000 people from all over America and their generous donations, they were able to make this dream come true not in New Orleans, but in Houston. Nate Burkes, a noted interior designer, helped design each home giving it a personal touch.
As human beings, no matter what our standing is in the society be, we must remember to look beyond ourselves. It’s not like I am a huge fan of Oprah, but I am deeply touched by her gesture of humanity.
I personally don’t know whether she is doing it for the TRPs or because she is genuinely interested in the well-being of the people, but I do know that she manages to put a smile across millions of people by her charity work and massive donations.
That’s, perhaps, is why they call her an ‘Angel on Earth’!
Technorati tags: Oprah Winfrey, Hurricane Katrina, Angel St.
