Yesterday around 9am CB texted me asking if he thought I could get boats from work. He had heard a call for anyone with a boat to come to Houston and help with rescues of the hundreds stranded in the floods that are just getting worse. I immediately got the ball rolling at work, while CB jumped on the phone trying to find out exactly where to take said boats.
I work for an outboard motor company called Tohatsu Outboards. We also sell a line of inflatable boats which as it turns out is perfect for a scenario like this because they don't need to be towed. They fit in a box, and you can fit several in the bed of the truck. My company graciously agreed to not only donate boats AND motors to bring down and even leave in Houston for relief efforts, but some of our employees even stepped up and said they'd go down there with CB.
CB and I spent the entire rest of the day trying to figure out where the heck to bring the boats. This is very sad, but you've gotta be careful in the time of a crisis to not put supplies and donations in the hands of the wrong people. After sending out tweets and facebook updates and instagram stories on Dallas Love List, we finally landed a solid tip on a staging area to bring boats. We learned that they'd be pairing up professionally trained rescuers with boat owners for safety at this location, and I felt much better about CB wanting to go down there to help.
CB and his friend JJ, along with some guys from my work loaded up their trucks with gas cans, propane tanks, cases on cases of water bottles, food, blankets, boats and motors and headed down to Houston around 4am this morning.
I saw a story on CNN about looters posing as people who needed rescue, and shooting at rescue boats, attempting to overtake their boats. That of course terrified me, and I got to thinking about those of you who have spouses, husbands and wives, who are fire fighters, or police officers, or military, or first responders, or anyone who risks their lives every single day to keep the rest of us safe. How does that make you feel? Do you worry every day?
On the alternative side, I am feeling SO PROUD of CB, in the grand scheme of things, relatively small gesture. I'm so proud I have a man who is willing to help. I'm just so dang proud right now. Those of you who have husbands and wives that risk their lives every single day for the rest of us, do you just walk around beaming all day every day, and boasting to anyone who will listen about how amazing your S.O. is?? I mean, I would.
Selfishly, I wanted to tell CB, "NO FREAKING WAY YOU CAN'T GO DOWN THERE" but I cannot do that. In all honesty, I'm sure he will be smart and safe, and he's with a team of young, strong, smart capable men. He promised me he wouldn't put himself in a position that was dangerous. I still panicked this morning when he didn't answer my phone call, he then called me back in about a minute and told me he couldn't answer because he was eating a breakfast sandwich. Face palm.
So, anyway, if you wouldn't mind, reserve a thought or prayer for CB today.
But more importantly, think and pray about everyone in Southeast Texas and Louisiana. For those risking their lives to save lives, and for those stranded praying for help. I never know the right thing to say here, but I'm giving it an attempt. I have good friends who are currently safe on a higher level floor, but scared and running out of food. Let's pray this rain stops and recovery efforts can begin as quickly as humanly possible.
A lot of people have shared how to donate to the Red Cross, so I thought I'd share a different venue for donating that's a little more Venus Trapped in Mars style! Click HERE - this is JJ Watt's crowd funding page. His initial goal was $200,000, he's now reset the goal to $1.5 million because donations have barreled in so quickly. Currently, he's at $1.3m.
PLEASE donate and help raise money!!
