Where Most Needed

Out in Colorado Springs, in the heartland of evangelical Christianity, a teenager is going to Ted Haggard's New Life Church in addition to her family's Forest Ridge Community Church.  Why do we need to know this?  The New York Times sees a trend for teenagers, particularly those growing up in evangelical households, to shop for churches.  What's the significance of this?  Are secular charities noticing similar trends?  How much are secular charities pursuing the youth market, and with what effect? 

I remember first realizing that charities have a key role in disaster preparedness when I was director of finance for one of the Second Harvest food banks back in the early 1990s.  Back then, the main disaster contemplated in Baltimore, as I recall, was a major chemical leak.

It has been interesting over the years how little attention the subject of disaster preparedness has been given in charity circles, including publications like the Chronicle of Philanthropy and email lists with a charity focus, like ARNOVA-L and the CharityChannel lists.

Even in the past year, I have been struck by the lack of focus on this very important topic.  Why is this?  What can be done about it?