Author Topic: ATTENTION MUSTACHIANS! (Oklahoma Tornado Relief)  (Read 7374 times)

Daley

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ATTENTION MUSTACHIANS! (Oklahoma Tornado Relief)
« on: May 20, 2013, 08:16:55 PM »
I'm a relatively private individual here, and I typically do not disclose much about where we live. Well, we live in Oklahoma. Oklahoma City, in fact. As I'm sure many of you are aware, on Sunday May 19th and Monday May 20th, the Oklahoma City area has been hit heavily with tornadoes, with today (the 20th) being the worst. Early estimates are that at least an EF4 tornado two miles wide has torn through Moore Oklahoma this afternoon leaving a nearly 20 mile long path of destruction in a suburb of 50,000 people over the course of about 40 minutes.

Oklahoma tornado: 51 killed, 120 injured, including 70 children

My wife and I are safe... however, there's an entire chunk of our city lying in ruin tonight and these people will need help. There's clearly not many Oklahoma native mustachians around, but our community is insanely large and I would like to ask you for your help.

This is where the Throw Down the Gauntlet portion of this post comes into play.

The Communications Superguide has been read over 46,000 times. It is the most read thread on these forums, and has the second longest post count only to the Say Hi thread. I know I've helped a lot of people here over the past year and change save hundreds and thousands of dollars on their communications bills. Now it's time for you to return the favor.

If you ever found the information valuable? Give some money for relief efforts.
If you saved some money on your cell phone bill? Give some money for relief efforts.
If I ever helped you out directly and answered any of your questions? Give some money for relief efforts.
If you feel fortunate to be alive? Give some money for relief efforts.

I will be happy to see you give whatever you can or are comfortable with, but the true challenge here is the amount I'm going to try and encourage you to give. That amount? At least one month worth of savings between your old total communications bills and your now cheaper ones. That means if you started out paying $250 a month for your cell phones, internet, cable TV and home phone when you showed up here and now pay $100 thanks to the resources posted here, I want to challenge you to donate at least $150 to one or more of the charities I'll have linked below.

I'd encourage you not to disclose your amounts given or to whom, as this is something I view as Tzedakah. I also request that you do not attach my name or the MMM community to the donations either out of respect to me and the spirit desired for you to give in, though clearly I will not stop you if you insist on doing so. Finally, I request that you do not earmark your donations for any specific subsection of relief efforts and give to the general funds instead, as I don't want to see new houses with five bathrooms built because some wisenheimers decided to earmark their donations solely for rebuilding homes while say infrastructure goes underfunded and unfinished. Got it? Good.

Known charities and organizations taking tornado disaster relief donations (last updated May 23, 2013):
American Red Cross
Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma
Crossings Community Church
Feed the Children
Oklahoma City University
Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma
The Salvation Army
United Methodist Committee on Relief
United Way of Central Oklahoma

The Daily Oklahoman also has a detailed list of aid organizations available here.

Also, for any local mustachians, I'm willing to help coordinate with any volunteer efforts being made in the area. Please PM me here or contact me through this form if you're interested.

Thank you, and may the L-rd bless you for your assistance.
« Last Edit: May 23, 2013, 10:28:38 AM by I.P. Daley »

kkbmustang

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Re: ATTENTION MUSTACHIANS! (Oklahoma Tornado Relief)
« Reply #1 on: May 20, 2013, 08:25:07 PM »
Consider it done. 

My family lived in Edmond for several years and currently my grandmother and other family members live in OKC. I couldn't get through via phone but have since confirmed they are ok. I feel blessed to be able to say that.

Godspeed to everyone there.

FlorenceMcGillicutty

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Re: ATTENTION MUSTACHIANS! (Oklahoma Tornado Relief)
« Reply #2 on: May 20, 2013, 08:27:54 PM »
I'm new here and haven't used your guide yet (thanks for the link!), but all you needed to do was ask. Thank you for reminding us of how fortunate we are and of the need in your area.

TheDude

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Re: ATTENTION MUSTACHIANS! (Oklahoma Tornado Relief)
« Reply #3 on: May 20, 2013, 08:53:48 PM »
I'm from the Midwest, my heart aches for Oklahoma.

arebelspy

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Re: ATTENTION MUSTACHIANS! (Oklahoma Tornado Relief)
« Reply #4 on: May 20, 2013, 08:58:23 PM »
I appreciate having the opportunity to help brought to my attention.
I am a former teacher who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, spent some time traveling the world full time and am now settled with three kids.
If you want to know more about me, this Business Insider profile tells the story pretty well.
I (rarely) blog at AdventuringAlong.com. Check out the Now page to see what I'm up to currently.

Miss Stachio

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Re: ATTENTION MUSTACHIANS! (Oklahoma Tornado Relief)
« Reply #5 on: May 20, 2013, 09:00:48 PM »
Thanks for the update and for linking places to donate to in Oklahoma.

Daley

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Re: ATTENTION MUSTACHIANS! (Oklahoma Tornado Relief)
« Reply #6 on: May 20, 2013, 09:04:46 PM »
Thank you all for the kind words and your generosity so far. Our hearts and prayers are certainly with the community and the rescue workers tonight.

Again, thank you for your assistance.

Daley

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Re: ATTENTION MUSTACHIANS! (Oklahoma Tornado Relief)
« Reply #7 on: May 21, 2013, 03:09:28 AM »
I've gathered together a couple old Nokia beater cell phones and I've got a laptop with GSM modem. I've reached out to Platinumtel and Airvoice Wireless both for SIM cards, minutes and data, but too early to know if anything will come of it. I'd like to be able to start hitting the shelters today and set up mobile communications centers to let people contact family, friends and loved ones.

If anyone can help with this, please PM me.

crazy jane

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Re: ATTENTION MUSTACHIANS! (Oklahoma Tornado Relief)
« Reply #8 on: May 21, 2013, 04:52:52 AM »
Red Cross donation to be made today.

Worsted Skeins

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Re: ATTENTION MUSTACHIANS! (Oklahoma Tornado Relief)
« Reply #9 on: May 21, 2013, 04:57:48 AM »
Donation made before reading your post.  Your good vibes are in the air.

Sending best wishes to you and others in your community. 

ace1224

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Re: ATTENTION MUSTACHIANS! (Oklahoma Tornado Relief)
« Reply #10 on: May 21, 2013, 05:59:13 AM »
made a red cross donation.  i am also willing to send clothes and other things if needed via flat rate boxes through usps.  please let me know if you know anyone who needs anything. 

crazy jane

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Re: ATTENTION MUSTACHIANS! (Oklahoma Tornado Relief)
« Reply #11 on: May 21, 2013, 06:51:15 AM »
Red Cross donation to be made today.

Donation made. Thanks to everyone who is helping in every way they can.

meadow lark

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Re: ATTENTION MUSTACHIANS! (Oklahoma Tornado Relief)
« Reply #12 on: May 21, 2013, 08:57:43 AM »
We'll be donating at work - my job sets it up so you can donate vacation hours, and they send the monetary equivalent to The Red Cross. 

Daley

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Re: ATTENTION MUSTACHIANS! (Oklahoma Tornado Relief)
« Reply #13 on: May 21, 2013, 08:58:48 AM »
Update!

Sharon Lee of Giv Mobile (part of Platinumtel) has responded to my request, and will be sending out phones and SIM cards for service over the next month.

Thank you Sharon and Giv Mobile!

KulshanGirl

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Re: ATTENTION MUSTACHIANS! (Oklahoma Tornado Relief)
« Reply #14 on: May 21, 2013, 10:14:15 AM »
Your information is valuable, helpful, and has saved me money, and I am glad to be here today.  So, done, done, done and DONE.  Thank you!  I'm trying to think of what else I can do to help from afar, I will send you a PM.

jenscaffidi

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Re: ATTENTION MUSTACHIANS! (Oklahoma Tornado Relief)
« Reply #15 on: May 21, 2013, 12:52:33 PM »
Thank you for posting this.

mustachecat

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Re: ATTENTION MUSTACHIANS! (Oklahoma Tornado Relief)
« Reply #16 on: May 21, 2013, 01:21:00 PM »
So happy to give--thank you for the reminder, I.P.

oldtoyota

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Re: ATTENTION MUSTACHIANS! (Oklahoma Tornado Relief)
« Reply #17 on: May 21, 2013, 03:04:26 PM »
Thank you for this. Here is a more direct link for the Red Cross:

http://www.redcross.org/charitable-donations

savingtofreedom

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Re: ATTENTION MUSTACHIANS! (Oklahoma Tornado Relief)
« Reply #18 on: May 21, 2013, 03:09:47 PM »
I will do this today - so sorry this tragedy has hit your community I.P.

Thanks for the link.

Storypage

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Re: ATTENTION MUSTACHIANS! (Oklahoma Tornado Relief)
« Reply #19 on: May 21, 2013, 03:41:38 PM »

I was in Newcastle (where the big tornado started) for several hours Saturday night before we drove home to Geronimo. Close to home, indeed.

mjmphx

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Re: ATTENTION MUSTACHIANS! (Oklahoma Tornado Relief)
« Reply #20 on: May 21, 2013, 09:14:22 PM »
We donated this evening.  We're praying for you guys.

Daley

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Re: ATTENTION MUSTACHIANS! (Oklahoma Tornado Relief)
« Reply #21 on: May 23, 2013, 09:06:47 AM »
Thank you all for the generosity and kindness expressed over the past few days. It, along with everything else this week, has only served to humble me further.

For anyone interested in an update to my efforts, Giv Mobile sent out a small boatload of cell phones and airtime to aid in communications efforts now and in the coming weeks. I'm currently working with my synagogue and other civic organizations to coordinate efforts towards deployment.

In other news, the city has been under a flash flood warning for the past few hours and has been extended out until 12:45pm as of this post. We're currently watching sheets of rain and hail come down outside our windows. Please don't let the internet inspired short attention spans strike on this one. The area will need more help after this, and in the coming weeks and months. If there's anything you feel you might be able to help with, I'll try and help you direct your resources to the best groups possible as I have time.

Again, thank you.

Daley

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Re: ATTENTION MUSTACHIANS! (Oklahoma Tornado Relief)
« Reply #22 on: May 26, 2013, 07:21:21 PM »
UPDATE: I was down in the Moore area today for the first time and taken through the heart of the path. There are no words. Photos and videos only pale in comparison. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but a thousand photos can't even begin to articulate what it's like to see and touch first hand.

I saw homes stripped to their foundations and fragments of people's lives tossed hither and yon... but I also saw a great deal of hope. Even as we speak, people are putting their lives back together. Electricity is being restored quicker than anticipated, there's volunteer workers everywhere. I lost track of how many times I was offered water and a sandwich as I was running relief errands. The generosity is immeasurable.

I also come bearing good news! The resources that Giv donated have officially been worked into the Red Cross relief system. Case workers will be aware of the resources starting Monday morning and we will be distributing as the requests come in. If they go as fast as I'm anticipating, I'd like to see what we as a community might be able to do to put a few more of these sorts of care packages together.

madage

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Re: ATTENTION MUSTACHIANS! (Oklahoma Tornado Relief)
« Reply #23 on: May 26, 2013, 08:01:37 PM »
Thank you for the update, Daley. Keep up the great work!

mpbaker22

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Re: ATTENTION MUSTACHIANS! (Oklahoma Tornado Relief)
« Reply #24 on: May 27, 2013, 07:16:10 AM »
Ironically I just returned from a wedding in Connecticut.  I live in St. Louis and know the groom from when I was in the Chicago area.  It's ironic because they're actually driving back to where he lives in Moore, Oklahoma right now.  Very close to home.

Daley

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Re: ATTENTION MUSTACHIANS! (Oklahoma Tornado Relief)
« Reply #25 on: May 31, 2013, 09:43:38 PM »
Good a place as any to post this. As many of you are aware, the OKC area's been under heavy assault from Weatherpocalypse 2013 again today.

I was out in the thick of it. Many lessons learned and will be disseminated in the coming weeks.

Most importantly, the wife and I are still safe. Getting pelted with hail right now, but safe.