Hurricane Harvey | Texas Strong

It's been awhile. 

I fell out of love with blogging as easily as I had originally fallen in love with it. It became a chore to open my laptop and write anything at all. The initial excitement of seeing this blog grow faded easily. There was nothing I wanted to share anymore. 

I realized the reason for my lack of motivation came from an unhappiness with my daily life. Sitting behind a desk at a job I had no passion for had finally taken its toll. After two and a half years, it was finally time to do something. And just like that, I changed careers and became a high school teacher. I was excited to finally use my degrees in History in a meaningful and powerful way!

Three days after I started my teaching career Hurricane Harvey made landfall. I watched in horror as the hurricane demolished my family's second home in the small town of Rockport, Texas. Within hours the rain started falling in Houston. And with the came the flooding.

I have been extremely fortunate this week. When the flood waters came and I needed to evacuate my apartment I had somewhere safe to go. I was finally able to return to my apartment yesterday afternoon and not a single piece of my belongings was out of place. I was safe, dry, and absolutely fine.

Yes, my family lost a home we had owned for 17 years. But it was only our second home. We CAN and we WILL rebuild. My focus right now is to help the community that I had just become a part of. When school finally returns on September 11th, some of my students would have lost everything. This is a time to step up. And that is exactly what other Houstonians have done too. 

I know most of you are not from Texas. It's hard to describe the sheer amount of pride I have for this state right now. In a world that often seems so negative, Harvey has reminded us that there is still goodness in people.

Being in Houston, I have the advantage of actually donating my time and effort in rebuilding this community. I have volunteered at a shelter, coordinated a book drive, and STILL have a list of events I plan on hitting up this week in order to help those in need. But many of you don't live in Houston, let alone Texas. 

There are SO many lists out there where you can donate to bigger organizations such as the Red Cross or the JJ Watt Relief Fund. Those organizations are wonderful and will have a huge impact on the recovery effort in Texas. However, there are some smaller organizations, specifically for schools, that could use your help too. Here are some ways you can can have a direct impact on helping victims of Hurricane Harvey.

Cardiff Junior High 

Houston ISD Student Relief 

Humble ISD Education Foundation 

xoxo