By Staff
Kerry Whipple Bean
Publisher
The last thing anyone wanted — or was expecting — for Christmas was a flood in Brewton and East Brewton.
But sometimes the Lord works in mysterious ways, and that’s just what we got last week as the waters kept rising.
Despite the unfortunate timing — is there ever good timing for a flood? — we did witness our communities coming together to help each other out. Emergency officials worked night and day to keep everyone safe, while business owners and employees pitched in to move belongings and goods to higher ground. The cleanup effort began in earnest the next day — and continues this week.
Many of the businesses affected are now back open, and if ever there was a time to preach and practice the mantra “shop at home,” now is the time.
We’ve been reminded time and again this year that our dollars serve us best when they are spent right here at home, especially with hometown businesses.
Never has that been more true. As we all struggle to make it out of a tough economy and dry off from last week’s flood, we need to keep our dollars here at home.
Even if we do receive federal or state funding for disaster aid and damages, that can’t make up for the lost revenue because stores were forced to close.
Christmas never needs to be about commercialism, but it can be about neighbors helping neighbors. And we saw that last week when folks helped each other out after the flood — we hope it continues into the new year.
Merry Christmas to all of our readers, and to those who were hit hardest by the flood last week, we hope the new year brings brighter days.
Kerry Whipple Bean is publisher of The Brewton Standard. She can be reached at 867-4876 or by e-mail at kerry.bean@brewtonstandard.com.