Shortly after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, Greg Forbes Siegman wrote a guest column that ran in a variety of newspapers around the country. The column explained what he planned to do to help out some of those affected by the disaster.  That column eventually led to the creation of ProjectThankYou.com.  This is the column:   GRANDMA'S WISDOM INSPIRES WAY TO HELP OTHERS     Like many ideas, this one began by accident.   Knowing I went to school in Louisiana, a friend asked what I was doing to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.  I told him I’d be sending a thank you note to the New Orleans Police.   “A thank you note?” he scoffed. “It’s meaningless. Unless a person can eat it, drink it, wear it or sleep in it, those guys don’t need it.”   The immediate irony is that I am writing a check, too. A portion of the proceeds from September sales of my book, The First Thirty ,  are being donated. But he got me thinking -- even if I wasn’t writing a check, wouldn’t “just” a thank you note still be meaningful?  Wouldn’t someone appreciate, and even benefit from, a sincere letter of gratitude?  At least a little?   My late Grandma used to complain people were in such a rush to get somewhere that they overlooked the so-called little things like thank you’s along the way.    “Civilization ain’t so civil any more,” she used to say.     I think she was right.   And the way I figure, if anyone deserves one of those thank you notes, it is the men and women of the NOPD who had the courage to stay on the job when the hurricane hit.   People can argue for years about what local and federal officials could’ve done and when, but the legacy of those cops who showed up for work and did the right things should be indisputable:  They were subjected to conditions that give new meaning to the term hostile work environment – not to mention, they were short on food and water like everyone else, their own homes were destroyed, and many of their loved ones were unaccounted for, too.  And yet, they would not quit.    They faced hell and high water – literally – and refused to run.   And I think the least we can do, whether we’ve already written a check or donated shoes or anything else, is write a letter to thank them for that.  And not just the cops – but the firefighters, doctors and other First Responders who also risked their lives, too.    It’s a chance for us to show the kind of respect we always say we want others to show to us – and it won’t even cost you a stamp to do it. All you have to do is email it to me and I’ll pass it along. Because I no longer want to send one letter.  In light of my friend’s remark, I want to collect and send one thousand.   I know a box of letters from strangers won’t satisfy the officers’ hunger or rebuild the firefighters’ homes, but I really do believe it will mean something to them.   At the very least, it can’t hurt to try.   So far, in fact, only two people have criticized the idea.   A friend in Chicago said, “I have no problem writing a thank you note to some of the First Responders in New Orleans – like the nurses. But as far as the cops go, haven’t you heard the stories about the ones who fled or looted or assaulted innocent people?”   My answer is, “Yes, I have heard those stories. And it's horrible.  And the way I see it, it's all the more reason to write thank you letters to the ones who did things the right way – to assure them that we don’t paint them with a broad brush, that we don’t lose sight of what they’ve done and sacrificed and risked just because of the horrible actions of a handful of others."   Just as we still appreciate trustworthy financial advisors who help us watch our life savings, even if an entire firm of them elsewhere are caught embezzling from clients.  Just as we still appreciate decent members of the clergy who counsel and guide us, even if a handful of them are caught abusing that position of trust.  Just as we still appreciate the work ethic and dedication of pro athletes, despite the handful of them who are caught taking shortcuts.  And so it is, now, we ought to still appreciate the cops who did everything the right way when others around them did not.  In fact, perhaps now more than ever, is when it would mean something to them.   Maybe not as much as food, water, shelter or money -- but, at least, it would mean something.   The other criticism I received? A friend from Alabama asked why I am singling out New Orleans. She asked why she shouldn’t write thank you notes to the First Responders in her own community instead.    To which I’d say, “Why not do both?”   After all, thank you’s aren’t like warm, soft beds or cold, hard cash.  You don’t need to have a certain income to provide them, and you don’t need to worry about running out of them, either.  In fact, anyone at any age of any race from any background can give out as many as he or she wants.   All you need is time, the willingness to spend it and a place to sit.   Greg Forbes Siegman (www.GregForbes.com) is co-author of two books including The First Thirty (www.TheFirstThirty.com), which focuses on the value of 'small' acts of kindness.  To take part in his Project, go to www.ProjectThankYou.com   Copyright 2005. Greg Forbes Siegman. All Rights Reserved.   To Take Part in ProjectThankYou.com, click on HOW TO GET INVOLVED