We were up in Estes camping for the Highlands fest. It started raining as we were coming home and you know what happened next. I did some days of volunteer work in-processing those who had nothing and needed help. It consisted of getting folks registered and then either telling them or showing them where they needed to go to get food, clothing, lodging etc. I will never forget the stories people told me or the looks of utter disbelief on their faces because of what had happened to them. People walking around in donated clothes none of which fit them. Even through everything they had endured they were so grateful we were there. The most disappointing thing they had to go through was FEMA. They were supposed to be there to offer the most help and due to red tape, being disorganized, and what seemed to be a lack of motivation, it took them, in many cases, all day to get people entered into their system. Another thing that was impressive was the donations intake point. It seemed they had 20-30 volunteers taking in donations at any given time and they could barely keep up most days. Car after car came in to drop stuff off. I also need to mention all of the people who offered complete strangers a room in their home, their RV or some even a tent in their backyard for people to stay in. One couple reserved and paid for a block of hotel rooms. Colorado strong!!
