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Having dealt with people in the animal rescue world I think there is another aspect to this. First make sure you are stable and taking care of before you try to

Having dealt with people in the animal rescue world I think there is another aspect to this. First make sure you are stable and taking care of before you try to help others. I have seen plenty of people who completely neglected their own physical and financial health while helping others. This works for a while but if you don’t take care of yourself eventually others will have to take care of you. I think subconsciously these people believe they are doing good but they can cause a lot of stress to the people around them.

ISL 7y ago
We absolutely saw this happen as we sprinted to make https://findthemasks.com https://findthemasks.com come to life. After a week or so of burning as hot as we could, we had to take a collective step back to recover and find extra people-power. It took ~3 weeks before we were working sustainably as a volunteer organization. Also, if you have masks, gowns, sanitizer, wipes, or other PPE lying around your house/business, please visit FTM to find a place to donate. If you know someone who wants local donations of PPE in a health-care setting, please direct them to findthemasks.com to help them, or their institution, request donations.
- etrautmann 7y ago
  Thank you! I have a pile of masks I’m looking to donate and was wondering where to bring them. This is fantastic
sdoering 7y ago
I agree. Seen this a lot in animal rescue. But not only there. I use the airline security information as a metaphor for what you described. There one is told to first put the oxygen mask over one's face first before helping others. If one is unconscious one isn't helpful but instead a burden.
Swizec 7y ago
A scene from Baywatch I saw when I was 12 or 13 stayed with me forever. In the scene, a rescue goes bad. Swimmer is unresponsive in the water next to a peer, waves are sloshing, and the swimmer is about to get smashed to bits on the peers. Rescuer jumps in and tries to save the stranded swimmer. All goes well until the rescuer gets smashed into the peer and injures his back. More rescuers jump in and save the lives of both the swimmer and rescuer. Then a stark lesson is delivered to the novice lifeguard who got hurt: This is why we train you to use the victim as a cushion agains the peer. They're already hurt and we don't need another victim. That stuck with me. Rescue yourself first, then help others. Otherwise we just end up with 2 people to rescue.
- op03 7y ago
  Your story has an extra dimension - Bravery. Some people will just jump on the grenade, run into a burning house etc. It's an instinct baked into some small part of the population. No thinking involved. Helping others day to day doesn't always require bravery (physical strength/low fear of physical danger) or courage (mental/moral strength). Situations where its required (as with the lifeguard) training definitely helps.
barbs 7y ago
True. I think it's important to remember that it's ultimately not your obligation or responsibility to help others, it is a gift. I've found this mental distinction allowed me to create healthy boundaries around my time and resources. It's important to be able to draw the line at how much you're willing to give without feeling guilty.

ISL 7y ago

We absolutely saw this happen as we sprinted to make https://findthemasks.com https://findthemasks.com come to life. After a week or so of burning as hot as we could, we had to take a collective step back to recover and find extra people-power. It took ~3 weeks before we were working sustainably as a volunteer organization. Also, if you have masks, gowns, sanitizer, wipes, or other PPE lying around your house/business, please visit FTM to find a place to donate. If you know someone who wants local donations of PPE in a health-care setting, please direct them to findthemasks.com to help them, or their institution, request donations.

etrautmann 7y ago
Thank you! I have a pile of masks I’m looking to donate and was wondering where to bring them. This is fantastic

sdoering 7y ago

I agree. Seen this a lot in animal rescue. But not only there. I use the airline security information as a metaphor for what you described. There one is told to first put the oxygen mask over one's face first before helping others. If one is unconscious one isn't helpful but instead a burden.

Swizec 7y ago

A scene from Baywatch I saw when I was 12 or 13 stayed with me forever. In the scene, a rescue goes bad. Swimmer is unresponsive in the water next to a peer, waves are sloshing, and the swimmer is about to get smashed to bits on the peers. Rescuer jumps in and tries to save the stranded swimmer. All goes well until the rescuer gets smashed into the peer and injures his back. More rescuers jump in and save the lives of both the swimmer and rescuer. Then a stark lesson is delivered to the novice lifeguard who got hurt: This is why we train you to use the victim as a cushion agains the peer. They're already hurt and we don't need another victim. That stuck with me. Rescue yourself first, then help others. Otherwise we just end up with 2 people to rescue.

op03 7y ago
Your story has an extra dimension - Bravery. Some people will just jump on the grenade, run into a burning house etc. It's an instinct baked into some small part of the population. No thinking involved. Helping others day to day doesn't always require bravery (physical strength/low fear of physical danger) or courage (mental/moral strength). Situations where its required (as with the lifeguard) training definitely helps.

barbs 7y ago

True. I think it's important to remember that it's ultimately not your obligation or responsibility to help others, it is a gift. I've found this mental distinction allowed me to create healthy boundaries around my time and resources. It's important to be able to draw the line at how much you're willing to give without feeling guilty.