The devastation caused by the string of recent hurricanes is almost unimaginable.

We see the images of communities flattened by winds, the fractured remains of buildings floating in the storm waters. The cries of residents who have lost loved ones, their homes and their businesses are heartbreaking.

The storms left hundreds of thousands in the dark, without power, without fuel, without critical services, without access to food, clean water, needed medicine and health care. We pray, we contribute, we offer thanks for lives spared, but can we do more?

In the days following natural disasters, there is almost inevitably a pledge to rebuild, a rallying cry by officials that helps drive the sense of hope needed to move forward.