If you've got any doubt about the generosity of Americans, consider these headlines from company press releases. This is only a partial list of press releases from PR Newswire from one day -- last Friday before Labor Day weekend, typically a light business news day. PR Newswire is the smaller of the two business press-release services (Business Wire is about twice as large).

Corporations are so often portrayed negatively in movies, books, plays, and the MSM that it becomes easy to forget that corporations are simply organizations made up of people. And those people -- dare we say it? -- sometimes do really good things.

Do the math -- add up the value of donations from this partial list from one press release service for one day, and you'll see that the enormity of this tragedy is being equaled by an enormous outpouring of giving:

--Baton Rouge Area Foundation Accepts $1M Donation From Lamar Advertising
--Buckner and Wilshire Baptist to Send Shoes, Supplies to Hurricane Victims in Baton Rouge
--IAP Worldwide Services Forms Hurricane Katrina Relief Unit
--AirTran Airways Teams Up With Peyton and Eli Manning to Fly Much-Needed Water, Food and Supplies to Louisiana
--Coca-Cola System Donates $5 Million, Hundreds of Thousands of Beverages for Hurricane Aid
--Continental Airlines Continues to Support Katrina Relief Effort
--United Airlines Assists Federal Airlift of Evacuees from New Orleans in Ongoing Shuttle Operation
--Entergy Announces Power of Hope Fund to Aid Katrina Victims
--American Airlines Flying Katrina Relief Missions Over Labor Day Weekend
--Three Carnival Cruise Ships to Be Chartered By Federal Government For Six Months as Part of Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts
--HSBC North America to Offer Payment Flexibility, Waiver of Fees for Customers Affected by Hurricane Katrina
--The Dallas Morning News Helps Ease Arrival of Displaced Hurricane Victims
--RadioShack Joins Nationwide Effort to Provide Assistance to Hurricane Victims
--Shell Partners With Houston Food Bank and American Red Cross to Help Victims of Hurricane Katrina
--Sun Microsystems Delivering Immediate Aid and Communications Support to Victims of Hurricane Katrina
--Free Online College Courses for Students Displaced by Hurricane Katrina
--SunTrust Outlines $600,000 Hurricane Katrina Relief Effort--NAMI Creates Dedicated Fund for Hurricane Disaster Relief for Mental Illness
--Ex-Im Bank Offers Relief Measures to Customers in Federal Disaster Areas in Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama
--Novo Nordisk Contributions Address Dire Need for Diabetes Care in the Wake of Hurricane Katrina
--Merrill Gardens Hosts Gumbo Feed to Help Hurricane Victims
--Nokia Donating $1 Million to American Red Cross for Immediate Needs of Gulf Coast States
--Ready Texas Nurses - the Emergency Response System of Texas - Registering Nurse Volunteers to Aid Katrina Victims
--The Inspiration Networks to Air Live 'Concert of Hope' on September 3 to Aid Victims of Katrina
--Lilly Endowment Gives $10 Million to American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund
--Marriott Rewards Allows Members to Redeem Points to Help Hurricane Victims
--Goodyear Mobilizing Airships to Support Hurricane Relief Fundraising
--America's Pharmaceutical Companies Increase Relief Efforts; Nearly $25 Million in Medicines, Cash Donated So Far
--Travel Industry Job Bank to be Aimed at Helping Hurricane Katrina Victims
--Cingular Wireless Provides Relief to Hurricane Katrina Victims
--Kaiser Permanente Pledges Total of $3 Million to Hurricane Relief
--U.S. Airlines Provide Emergency Airlift for New Orleans Evacuees
--Tejas Incorporated Announces $200,000 Donation and In-Kind Support of Hurricane Katrina Relief Effort
--AT&T Boosts Its Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts With Emergency Communications, Prepaid Phone Cards, Calling Centers and IP-Based Networks
--MCI Mobilizes to Aid Hurricane Relief Efforts
--Shell Announces Disaster Relief Support
--BASF Provides $1 Million in Aid to Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts
--US Airways to Join Industry New Orleans Evacuation Effort
--Merck Commits $1 Million to Disaster Relief Fund in Wake of Hurricane Katrina
--Katrina Storm Victims' Credit Card Interest & Fees Waived By New Millennium Bank
--CIGNA Offers Hurricane Victims, Employers Counseling, Pharmacy, Claims Support; Announces Donation to American Red Cross
--Scholastic Contributes to Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts
--Tulalip Amphitheatre Organizes 'Hurricane Aid' Benefit Concert and Barbeque With 100% of Ticket Proceeds Going to Hurricane Katrina Relief
--BNSF Railway Makes $1 Million Contribution, Offers Transportation Help to Hurricane Victims
--Longs Drug Stores Offers a Matching Contribution Program to Support American Red Cross Hurricane Relief Efforts
--Kaiser Permanente Contributes $2 Million to Support Public Health Response to Katrina
--Safeway Launches Hurricane Relief in Stores
--American Red Cross to Receive $100,000 from National City for Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts