The item, by Amanda Ripley includes the story of a conservative Massachusetts man, Forrest King, who found the government and American Red Cross less than responsive in helping to place a needy family with his family who had rooms to spare.

[King] was told by the American Red Cross and FEMA that they would not help him find Hurricane Katrina victims who needed a place to stay. If he wanted to help, he should give cash, he was told.

"The government failed," says King. "The citizens have to stand up and say, 'Get out of the way. We'll take care of our own.'

And so, for the past week, King, a self-described "dyed-in-the-wool conservative," has been sharing his home with the Meehan-Hoo family, a lesbian couple with three children, ages 5, 7 and 9.

. . . . .

. . . . . Forrest and Marie have offered their home to the Meehan-Hoos [family] indefinitely. Jan, who had a job at a nursing home in Louisiana, and Yolanda, a paramedic, hope to find new jobs nearby. Until they get settled, communal living provides learning experiences for everyone, even Forrest. "The other day I heard them arguing with each other in the stairway. It proves to me that same-sex couples are just as miserable as the rest of us," says King, laughing, as his wife and the Meehan-Hoos shake their heads in exasperation, like family.

The entire story will appear in Time Magazine, dated September 26th.