After Columbine, one of the reasons we were so effective was that we were there before it happened. In fact, one of the members of our team was actually in the cafeteria when the shootings took place. A bunch of us joined with the parents who were waiting at the elementary school down the street. Then for the next several weeks, about 17 hours a day, we were just with kids. From attending funerals and memorial services with students to simply hanging out with them, we were just with them.
- Heather Snodgrass (former Young Life leader at Columbine High School,
'98-'04), taken from Youthworker Journal's article Caring Amidst Crisis, Mar/Apr 2009
a friday quote:
Surviving and ministering during a crisis is more than just the crisis itself. Relationships are huge before, during, and after it happens. While we can't be there for everyone in every event to the same measure, we can be in quality relationships with others around us that help us truly minister. Here's one example of how it works:
