Anyone who says an individual (or two) can't have a profound nationwide impact in a time of national tragedy has never met Cooper Munroe or Emily McKhann.
As the rest of America was watching the heartbreaking images of Katrina's aftermath on the news, a quick decision by these mommy bloggers/book authors has proven to be invaluable in helping hurricane victims get back on their feet while offering others a meaningful way to help.
How a Blog Saves Lives Before August 31, 2005, a visit to the blog Been There offered readers funny anecdotes about life as a mom, cool finds on the Web and musings on current events. But that morning, Cooper, 39, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Emily, 44, from Larchmont, New York, decided they could use their stable of loyal readers (up to 300 visitors daily) to help those victimized by Katrina two days earlier.
"We thought our community would want to help," says Emily, who recalled the abundance of supplies sent to New York City after 9/11, and the lack of manpower to distribute them. "Since a lot of evacuees would get at least temporary housing, we thought we could link people with items to give with those who needed them." And the Katrina clearinghouse was born.