I saw something like this first hand this past summer, as my coastal town was devastated by Hurricane Irene. The locals banded together, collected donations of food and water and other essentials from local businesses, put up a tent and helped each other out every day. A month later, FEMA showed up in a million dollar Winnebago festooned with large HHS signs and efficient people in crisp uniforms talking about small business loans and handing out free flashlights that nobody needed.