Bridge Building Lesson One...

First things first, Step One - GET IT OUT. Tell a trusted confidant everything you don't like about your local law enforcement agencies, fire department, emergency medical and hospital personnel, political leaders, the Red Cross, Salvation Army, local Faith-based organizations, the neighborhood watch, the neighbors themselves, your own family, your dog..whoever or whatever. Spill your guts, say your peace, let it out, tell your confidant how you really feel.

Step Two - GET OVER IT.  When we are in a disaster we are all in it together. Yes, each organization, just like individuals, have their own boundaries, missions and agendas. They also all have their good days and their bad ones. If you chose to resent some person or organization because you felt mistreated three years ago and have no interaction with them other than to trash them to everyone you know... congratulations... you have identified a problem and made it worse. Go You! However, if you actually do want to be part of the solution resentment is not the answer. You have to build a bridge. And I do have to warn you that actual work is involved.

So Step Three - GET BUSY. I like the imagery of building a bridge because there is a clear concept that there are two different sides and nothing changes that. Also, bridges don't usually happen by accident and the greater the river they span the more intelligence, patience, and strength it takes to put and keep them in place.
You can do this and when you do, you will make the community safer and stronger for yourself and everyone around you. Go Everybody!

So where do you start? Well if you want to form an alliance you must first approach as an ally. Not a critic, not a judge, not a nay-sayer but dare I say it...show yourself friendly. That doesn't mean you approve of every actions or philosophy of the other party. It means you are smart enough to seen the benefit of working together for the common good.

If an individual or agency has truly done something bad they are probably in need of a few real friends who genuinely want to help ... becuase you can be pretty sure at that point that they've lost all their fair weather friends. Introduce yourself. Be honest about who you are and what you hope to accomplish. Then be helpful. They may accept you, they may reject you. Be helpful anyway.

You are not moving to their side of the river or moving them to yours. You are building a connection that allows you both to share. Now, if your past practice has been to stand on your bank and throw rocks at the other side...expect this process to take a while. But if you continue...patiently and persistently, being honest about who you are and what you hope to achieve...there will come a day when they see you coming and they will know that help is near. Start where you are and with who you know. Amazing things can happen in your community if you are willing to work for them.