A restaurant owner who is feeding his neighbors. Good Samaritans offering free blankets and bread. A retired Natchez nurse who is pitching in, as she always does, to help Red Cross aid in a disaster.

These are just a few of the good stories to come out of the Hurrican Charley disaster. It’s amazing to see how many people give of themselves &045;&045; to friends and to perfect strangers &045;&045; when such an event occurs, whether it was the terrible aftermath of the Sept. 11 bombings or cleaning up after the wrath of Mother Nature.

That kind of generosity always shows us the best of the American spirit.

But we cannot just rely on volunteers from organizations like Red Cross and on the kindness of our neighbors.

We all must be prepared for disasters that can hit our community as well, whether it’s a fast-moving hurricane coming up from the coast or a windstorm that rolls through downtown.

The first thing to do in preparing a plan is to learn about the types of disasters that can hit and find out about plans in your community and at your workplace and children’s schools. Then create a disaster plan for the whole family, making sure you discuss with your children the dangers of such events and what to do if they occur.

Pick places to meet and arrange for an out-of-town contact. Complete a checklist with emergency numbers, and please make sure you teach your children how &045;&045; and when &045;&045; to dial 911.

Perhaps most important, discuss the plan and practice it with all family members.

We always hope we will never need to use such information &045;&045; but we all need to have it on hand if something occurs.