Thinking of our Whiteflash and Houston area friends...

[yennyfire]

Glad you're all ok! My BIL and SIL are in SugarLand and while their back yard took on water, their house is ok and they haven't lost power. So grateful they're ok and am praying for those who have lost so much. My community here outside of Atl is raising money and collecting donations of everything from clothes to water, food, diapers, etc. and will be getting them to the Red Cross for transport. I think it's going to take a while to recover, but Texans are strong and the rest of the country wants to help in that endeavor.

 

[marcy]

Glad to hear you are all okay.

 

[december-fire]

Continued thoughts and prayers to all of you affected by this disaster.

The images of the devastation are heartbreaking.
However, its pales in comparison to the heartwarming scenes of people coming together and helping each other.

 

[Texas Leaguer]

WF Update:
First, A big Texas size THANK YOU to all who have expressed their support both online and offline. It means so much to us all here at Whiteflash. In one way or another the catastrophic effects of this storm continue to impact all of us. From those of us who have lost our homes to those who are enduring 3 and 4 hour commutes just to get to work.

We are essentially now back to "normal" operations and doing our best to manage our production and delivery schedules. Our team are all rising to the various challenges and are performing extremely well under difficult circumstances. Things will get better over time, but it will definitely be a while before the uphill part of this unfortunate event is overcome.

In the meantime, we sincerely appreciate all the well wishes and support from the community. Through the summer our diamond production has been gearing up for the Fall season so we have a tremendous inventory of elite quality round and princess diamonds in-stock, on-hand, fully vetted and imaged, and ready to go.

As everyone knows by now from all the news coverage, there are hundreds of thousands of people in Houston and the Texas Gulf Coast who have lost literally everything. There are many fine organizations making a positive impact down here. If you have the ability, chose one of them and give a little bit. There was an American Red Cross mobile unit going through my neighborhood yesterday offering water and food and other assistance to anyone in need. In addition to the actual supplies they were distributing, I can tell you that they also provide a much needed emotional lift to those struggling to cope.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

It's really good to hear your update, Bryan! So happy WF is back running fairly normally and that you are all safe! It's hard to fathom the destruction flooding can do to such a huge area. I know it will take a lot of time for many areas to recover. I am just hoping Irma will veer a little more east and spare FL and the islands the worst of it's wrath!

 

[Rockdiamond]

So glad to hear you're "ok" Bryan. I guess it will be a long time before it's really OK down there.....
I don't know what assistance we can offer WF from here in NYC- but if there is anything we can do to assist you guys, our door is wide open.

I liked hearing about the Red Cross making a positive difference- they've gotten a lot of bad press..... are there other specific organizations you can suggest for those of us wishing to donate?

 

[Texas Leaguer]

Thanks DS. I think Harvey dumped something like 11 trillion gallons of water over the greater Houston area!
And yes, Irma is a really scary storm. I hope it manages to stay offshore as it heads north. And I certainly hope it stays out of the Gulf of Mexico!

 

[Texas Leaguer]

So glad to hear you're "ok" Bryan. I guess it will be a long time before it's really OK down there.....
I don't know what assistance we can offer WF from here in NYC- but if there is anything we can do to assist you guys, our door is wide open.

I liked hearing about the Red Cross making a positive difference- they've gotten a lot of bad press..... are there other specific organizations you can suggest for those of us wishing to donate?

Thanks David. I really appreciate the offer.

With regard to the organizations for charitable giving, we don't really have any specific recommendations. I want to believe there are a number of good ones. You would just have to explore their activities, reputation and percentage of donations that actually go to directly to the target. I think there are websites that tract such things. Maybe some other posters can shed light on that.

 

[Gussie]

We went with JJ Watt's Houston Flood Relief fund. He is such a great guy and does so much for our community. HEB (our local chain of grocery stores in the area) just donated $5 million and he has already raised $27 million. Since it is a smaller foundation the administrative costs are lower and the money is specifically marked for Houston.

 

[Texas Leaguer]

We went with JJ Watt's Houston Flood Relief fund. He is such a great guy and does so much for our community. HEB (our local chain of grocery stores in the area) just donated $5 million and he has already raised $27 million. Since it is a smaller foundation the administrative costs are lower and the money is specifically marked for Houston.

GREAT suggestion ceg!

 

[december-fire]

To every one of the amazing folks at WF:
Reading about how quickly you've gotten back to some level of normality says a lot about your dedication, willpower and professionalism.

For you and everyone else impacted by Harvey, I hope that your lives are getting back on track, although I know it will take time.

Although Irma is making headlines, of course, and I pray for the safety of all those in her path, I just wanted to let you know that you haven't been forgotten. Hopefully, Irma won't add to the challenges you're already facing.

 

[Arkteia]

I chose Salvation Army to donate and also, the United Way. (Religious charities are very good when it comes to disasters and they usually have low overhead). Catholic Charities are good, of course. For the atheists, Foundation Beyond Belief is the place to donate to.

Also, if anyone points out to the area hit the most, sending directly to food banks in the area is always helpful.

This year is ripe with disasters, fires BC, and then Harvey came, and Irma (which has ravaged the Virgin Islands), and now fires in Montana (for which federal help has been exhausted). Not to mention earthquake in Mexico, but luckily, it was not on the mainland.

Also, forgot to mention, Facebook matches donations to Hurricane Harvey relief, it is also a good way to donate.