The deep purpose for preppers

[Arzosah]

finchrs, I think most people agree with your position, actually, but most people have also been burned by recipients of their aid, whether by ingratitude or entitlement or carelessness or whatever. There's a huge tradition of helping others in the UK still - check out my post on the first page of this thread, about the organisations that set out to help people voluntarily. We don't do the particular type of prepping and volunteering that the USA does, it's true. We do our own. But absolutely nobody is flaming or abusing you because you stand in favour of helping people.

You're in Southampton now, from what your profile by your name says? How do you live your beliefs day by day? I like to think we really are mature and reasoned and concrete examples will always help Jenny's post on April 29th with the Doctor Who quote and the paragraph of exploration about giving time to a charity that also expands her own network is a great concrete example of real world helping. Just because she thinks transactionally doesn't mean people don't benefit. And the people that she gets as useful contacts also get *her* as a useful contact. Win-win: that's good!

[Arzosah]

Just seen jansman's note on social media: I watch a bit but very, very rarely post. What I follow most are:
#Caturday
#Larry the Cat
#Sophie From Romania (a rescue dog)
Most of the rest is insane.

[jennyjj01]

check out my post on the first page of this thread, about the organisations that set out to help people voluntarily.
...
Jenny's post on April 29th with the Doctor Who quote and the paragraph of exploration about giving time to a charity that also expands her own network is a great concrete example of real world helping. Just because she thinks transactionally doesn't mean people don't benefit. And the people that she gets as useful contacts also get *her* as a useful contact. Win-win: that's good!

Thanks. Exactly.
Without giving too much away, I offered to help a foodbank and a related charity for a few hours per week, almost solely out of selfishness: I wanted to build my network, gain 'retail experience' of a sort to put on my CV, and fill in a long career gap with some sort of excuse. It worked wonders: Led directly to my getting a part time job, further integration into the charity network, plus I even get some foodbank rejected and expired food to use. I've gained far more than I put in, but every week, I see people benefit right on the sharp end of poverty. Sometimes I see p155takers benefit, but if I can be transactional, I can't begrudge them the same.

Now, the OP muses the deep purpose for preppers. If he aspires to have a lead role in Civil Defense, then he will fill a gap that others don't fit. Isn't that true of all of us. Those that stockpile and hunker down may not think they are helping society, but they are taking themselves off the potential workstack of charities and society. Same for those that care exclusively for their families. We all just do it our way, with or without complex intentions. We JFDI.

[Arzosah]

Now, the OP muses the deep purpose for preppers. If he aspires to have a lead role in Civil Defense, then he will fill a gap that others don't fit. Isn't that true of all of us. Those that stockpile and hunker down may not think they are helping society, but they are taking themselves off the potential workstack of charities and society. Same for those that care exclusively for their families. We all just do it our way, with or without complex intentions. We JFDI.

Ooh! I used to work for a national charity, before I moved out of London, and it was so long ago that Training Days were only just beginning And the first bloke they got in to give a lecture to around 90% of the head office staff made a statement that absolutely exploded the meeting: "if everyone looked after themselves, there'd be no need for charities"!!! Now, this is an extreme position, because the charity was Mencap, and its client base includes people with severe microcephaly, for instance, and they and some others simply *can't* look after themselves.
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/birthdefects ... ead%20size. But other things being equal (a big ask), it's true.

As preppers, we do what we can: at a minimum, we look after ourselves; then family/neighbours; and almost without noticing we've upped it to community.

My neighbourhood does what it can: turning out to prune a tree that was getting in the way of a phone line; a bloke who fells trees takes things back for the guy who chops his own wood; people share out blackberries and tomatoes; we watch over one another's houses when someone's away; lifts are given to hospital appontments; news is passed along about power cuts (certainly more efficient than UK Power Networks ); wheelie bin storage and retrieval from the road when the bin lorry's been; taking elderly people to the shops, ones who've never got the hang of the web; dog walkers on the rec ground opposite my house are a definite sub-community, they all know each other.

These things can be consciously nurtured and built upon, for the times that might be much harder.

[Yorkshire Andy]

WOW....

OK.

So my original intent with this post was to highlight that preppers could be an asset to local populations in times of crisis.

This was meant to be my viewpoint only. Hoping that I might spark an ember of thought within the community here. Planting the ember of possibility where preppers look beyond the individual or family to the wider community. Where preppers begin to think about what value they can add to the community, after they secure thier and thier owns safety.

Look I get it.

Most dont think like I do. I have secured my preps for my family and friends. Then I began securing my preps to allow us to provide assistance to my community. Not to feed a community. But to help coordinate survival. To include a huge stock of medical supplies for mass casualty events.

Look. I am jaded here. My viewpoints were flamed by the US Forum because I stood by my values to help people. After huge amounts of abuse I quit the forum.

I came back here to what I believe to be a much more mature and reasoned community.

Nobody has to follow my views. I do hope that some of the prepper community is less selfish than the rest of the society.

Like I have said. Nobody has to follow my direction. I am happy in my direction in prepping alone.

I've helped people house opposite are a lovely economic migrant family many in the street ignore them as they are foreign and not yokal .. they are polite and always speak .. I've helped them with car issues (flat battery and a bonnet that wouldn't latch ) and had some lovely cakes / biscuits as a thanks,

House 3 doors up lots of smoke which looked like I was coming out the house.. went armed with 2x 6kg powder extinguishers turns out they'd bought a incinerator but it was making more smoke than fire they looked shocked as I appeared back way but knew she knew I was on the ball she's done fire training for the oil company she works for ..

Between me and the wife we've given first aid in the street to strangers on at least 3x occasions to the point she gained a special award from one of the big national retailers she worked for at the time one of only 2 occasions they've given it out (and made the company look good on the local news )

[sfcfinchrs]

Hi all,

I did not mean to come off as strong as I did.

I do recognize the massive difference in this group as opposed to the nut job groups out there.

There are times when I am overly idealistic.

Thanks all

[Arzosah]

Finchrs, you've described yourself as both idealistic and jaded in these recent posts. I'm sorry you're suffering - I certainly recognise that combination of feelings, and it's hard, no doubt about it. Take care of yourself - there's more of us out here than you might think.

[grenfell]

Not quite an example of a people's civil defence but people making an effort when disaster strikes. ( shoot me down in flames if I've misread the idea here but in my mind it follows the basic principal of the original post)
https://www.theguardian.com/christian-a ... 1680709795

[jennyjj01]

Hi all,

I did not mean to come off as strong as I did.

I do recognize the massive difference in this group as opposed to the nut job groups out there.

There are times when I am overly idealistic.

Thanks all

Heyyyy. We're all good
Different strokes for different folks. Your post raised an interesting topic and got interesting responses. An Ideal first post.