My Neighbors

Surfing the web today, I found a website (one of several) where people were offering to open their homes for hurricane victims.

Sorta warmed my heart.  Just for kicks, I did a search for my area (Southern California) and found hundreds of my neighbors offering a room or two.  Some offered jobs, or help with job searches.  Some, living near universities, offered a room for transferring students.  A few even offered to pay transportation to Southern California.  But they all offered a place to stay, for a number of months (or "until you get back on your feet") for free.

Most of the listings were pretty wide open.  They were willing to help a single person, or a couple, or a parent with a kid.  They might have been specific as to whether pets would be welcome, but most were pretty general.  Some -- generally those where a bathroom would have to be shared -- were particular as to gender.  One even said "gay friendly."

Some of the offers were kind of cautious.  "Must start looking for work within a week," they say -- clearly afraid to be taken advantage of by freeloaders.  Or "absolutely NO DRUGS."  Y'know.  Just in case.

And then I saw it.  The person willing to offer her spare room to a "White woman."

Charity, I guess, has its limits.