Help San Leon Texas "A small drinking community with a large fishing problem..."

shared by someone today on the WU blogs

CLICK HERE TO HELP

SAN LEON TEXAS
"A small drinking community with a large fishing problem..."
Devastated by Hurricane Ike September, 2008

Includes:
RECOVERY BLOG PHOTOS VIDEOS IKE-TV Media Coverage
ways to donate to the San Leon Relief Fund
even $1 or $5 will help

Want to Feel Blessed? Miniature Earth

This has been around a long time, but I'd somehow missed it. My husband introduced me to it today. I think now is a good time for people to see it, this time when there are so many who need our help -- the people in Haiti who have lost everything after being struck by a particularly cruel hurricane season, the people of Texas and Louisiana who have lost so much because of some of these same storms.

We can't forget that even in these tough economic times, we are truly very lucky.

Donation Management Team Announcement for Galveston

City of Galveston
News Release
Thursday, September 25, 2008

Donation Management Team Announced for Galveston
Galveston - Galveston Island survived Hurricane Ike, but the damage the storm left in its wake has devastated many islanders’ homes and businesses.

Generous offers of aid and assistance have poured in from around the state and the nation. City officials are busy coordinating relief efforts with local, state, and federal agencies. All volunteer teams, donation of tangible items such as water, gift cards, and cleaning supplies, as well as offers of donated services such as construction and roofing will be organized through the city’s central management team.

Effective tomorrow, Friday, September 26, anyone wanting to assist with the recovery of Galveston Island can contact Carolyn Cox, Assistant City Manager, City of Galveston. To reach the city’s donation management team, please make contact by phone or email:

Phone: (409) 797-3650
Email: coxcar@cityofgalveston.org

Pets
The Galveston Island Humane Society is accepting monetary donations, pet food, and pet supplies to support, feed, and shelter all animals rescued after Hurricane Ike. For more information, please visit http://www.galvestonhumane.org

***** ***** ***** ***** end copy/paste ***** ***** ***** *****
Note from Ann:

The Galveston Island Humane Society is not to be confused with the Galveston County Animal Shelter!

It is strongly recommended that you call and speak to someone physically located at the Galveston Island Humane Society before making donations, other than monetary donations, to be sure that they are donations they will be able to accept.

A Pictures Says Oh, So Much

I take credit for none of these pictures. If you click on the picture(s), you'll be taken to the full-size image on the site of origin. I encourage you to visit those sites, to see more photos, to get a greater feel for the true scope of this disaster. There's so much more to it than most people realize. There's much more help needed, Texans are, for the most part, far too proud to ask for much help. I think we might just need to this time.

Although almost all of the photos and videos are heart-breaking, I think you'll find that some: are thought-provoking; are dumb-founding; offer hope; show the true American spirit; illustrate the fortitude that is truly Texan!

Crystal Beach, Bolivar Peninsula

Before & After Pictures

September 9^th vs September 15^th

(Courtesy of U.S. Geological Survey)

Crystal Beach
Heather Kilgore





















Bolivar Peninsula
Flyover by Vicky Courtney, 9/17/08












On the Ground Pictures
Winnie, High Island, Gilchrist








On the Ground Pictures
More

What Have I Added Tonight/This Morning?

Let's see, why am I up until 3 a.m.? Well, yeah, part of it can be attributed to starting a 3-week course of steroids and the insomnia they can cause but, let's face it -- I can be a bit obsessive when I pick up a project.

I was determined to get some of the pictures posted but was so busy most of the day that I just now got it done! I had to do a lot of dog walking, network for Ike victims -- and yes, I do it for humans, too. I had to whine to my mom about feeling so lousy even though I really don't like to whine. I wasn't really whining. I was just checking in. It's almost comical, I think I'm probably getting a year's worth of illness over with at once, or at least I hope that's what it is! Besides, every minute I spend on the phone with my mom is a minute she knows I'm alive, therefore each minute on the phone with her is one less minute she's worried. She knows that if I'm actually on the phone then I must be feeling a bit more human -- or pretty desperate! See, as much as I love that woman, I absolutely hate the phone!

Now, on to the serious "stuff"...

I've added some pictures that have been posted by various sources. None of them are my own. All of them link to the originating sites. Please do not copy them and/or add them to any collections without crediting the photographer and linking to their sites! That is just so wrong and unnecessary! All of them have links to albums or pages with additional photos.

I've also added a link to CrystalBeach.Com & RolloverPassTexas.Com. They both are very interesting sites with some great info on these communities that were some of the absolutely hardest hit. I encourage you to visit and see the spirit of these Texas Coastal Communities.

I have a few more things that I'm determined to add, but I'm also pretty dang determined to get some sleep! I have to be at the doctor's office in 6.5 hours and it's an hour away. I need an hour to get showered and dressed...uhm, I better go!! I may actually look even worse than I feel by the time I get there, and I would've thought that impossible. I'll get more content added tomorrow.

Take care everyone, and keep Texas and Louisiana in your thoughts and prayers -- and don't forget all the people from around the country who are pitching in to help. They're all honorary Texans now!

A Little Bit of Info About Both Blogs

I belong to a lot of Yahoo! groups for animal rescue. Here's part of a post I sent on 9/23/08. It tells you a little bit about just some of what is on the main blog at this time.

Ways you can directly help animals in the areas affected by Hurricane Ike

PLEASE take a moment to read this and visit the blog -- there’s nothing in this for me but a few hours of work. This is strictly to bring attention to the various organizations in the affected areas that are in desperate need of assistance, to relieve the suffering of animals & people! Thank you!! :)

The information below describes a bit of what you’ll find at:

Helping Animals Weather the Storms

Hurricane Ike was much worse than many across the country realize, I’m hearing this all day, every day.

Within 2 or 3 days, the news coverage had moved on to the election and the financial crisis, yet there are still millions without power from the metro area of the nation's 4th largest city to parts East Texas, where some could wait until as late as October 6th to have basic services restored. Some roads are still blocked, entire towns were wiped from the map (don't let the low death toll fool you, there are, conservatively, hundreds missing), cattle and horses are desperately searching for fresh water in their salt-water covered fields, there are complete wastelands littered with carcasses of dead animals... Some areas are just horrific sites that have reduced grown men, firefighters and law enforcement officers, to tears.

How can you help? It's not by donating to the large, nationwide organizations that solicit and use the funds for unrelated campaigns across the nation (not that those efforts aren't worthy, too) -- it's by donating directly to the area, to the groups that have funds earmarked for the areas' use right now!

For some animal (and non-animal) groups that are in desperate need, please visit my blog. Right now, the listings are in blog posts dated 9/22 & 9/23, but they'll eventually be in links on the left side of my blog so the links don't end up in the archive section.

Houston , Galveston , East Texas , and parts of Louisiana really do need your help! I'll update as I get more information. I'm actively seeking that info, not just waiting for it to fall into my lap;)

Also on the blog: “Disaster Preparedness with Pets & Livestock”, links to info in the affected areas (television stations, newspapers, photographs, emergency operations centers, etc.) , & much more – with even more to come

See Helping Animals Weather the Storms and if you have any questions or if you would like to see a shelter added to the list, just send me an e-mail.*

*For bloggers: Please, if you would like an answer or are requesting that a shelter or rescue be added, make sure that you've left some way for me to contact you rather than an anonymous comment.

Thank you!

Unpleasant Pictures

This was originally posted to the Helping Animals Weather the Storms blog on 9/23 (well, 9/24 about 3:30 a.m.). It's what made me realize I needed to start putting these things here, so I could continue to concentrate on the animals on the main blog. Here it is:

It's late (or early), I'm sick, and I'm tired -- but I can't even imagine how weary the people who lived on the Bolivar Peninsula or Galveston Island, in Winnie or Bridge City, in Chambers County or Calcasieu Parish Louisiana must be.

Take a look at some of these pictures. Think about skipping that Starbucks Coffee or that Krispy Kreme donut and instead donating $5 to Portlight Strategies, Inc. or one of the non-profit animal rescues/shelters mentioned in Monday's or Tuesday's posts instead. I guarantee it's a better investment. How about doing that every week for a month or a year? Think of the difference one small sacrifice could make for another person, for an animal, or even for you!

Believe it or not, those aren't even close to the worst of it. I'm just too tired to bring out the "best", the before & afters. I'll try to get to it in the morning.

All I can say right now is, God Bless Texas.

Quick note (9/24 a/noon) - didn't want anyone thinking I'm taking credit for these pics!! If you click on them, you'll be taken to the sites from which they come :)