If you haven’t seen Melissa’s photos yet from the Oklahoma City/Edmond, OK floods that just devastated the area on June 14th… You have to check them out… She’s got an awesome slide show that just shows how bad it really was. There’s also a really great news article (with video) on KOKH Fox 25 from Oklahoma City! Fox News Reporter Andrew Speno tells me that most of this video was shot in Melissa’s Front Yard! YIKES!

So, the cleanup has begun… Actually, it started just a little while after the water was low enough to get back in the neighborhood. I’ve been keeping up with everything going on, and wow.. I can’t imagine what the folks in OK are going through. I’m getting texts and phone calls constantly with different things that have to be thrown out. Mementos, things that have extreme sentimental value, and some things that they had yet to use, all gone because of a storm. Tears are being shed, and there’s nothing that can be done for most of it. Wedding items, pictures and crafts that the kids made years ago… It really hurts to throw it all away, but would it be worth keeping it if it molded?

The family is doing ok, considering the circumstances. They’re getting through everything, and trying to do it with a smile, but it’s hard. They are staying with @ConsumerKing’s Mom… so at least they have family around to help them.

Something that keeps reminding me about why I started this initiative… and may help those of you who don’t know her personally… Here’s a little bit about how Melissa’s mind works.

She was very upset about things she had bought for her family, but something else that was at the front of her mind was all of the things she had collected and stockpiled for DONATING! Something she has done for a long time. She’s amazing with coupons, sales, and other random deals. Her About Us page says that she once walked out of Albertson’s with 3 grocery carts full and only had to pay $19… WOW! What does she do with all of these “Extra” groceries? She donates them. She usually keeps a storage shed handy just for stocking up on things she can later donate to her church and to the local battered women’s shelter. As she cleaned out her house, she found things that she had stored up in Rubbermaid Totes, that were not touched by flood waters. She took things down and donated them to other families who have been affected by this flood. She’s already told me that if we got any extras of things like cleaning supplies that they could share, they would…

This is exactly yet another reason why I know this is an awesome relief effort. I know that not only she will benefit, but other people who need help will get it as well…

If you are able to donate money, please use the ChipIn widget in my sidebar to donate securely directly to Melissa… They just received an estimate of $7-10 just for cleanup.. That doesn’t include the supplies and labor it is going to cost to make the necessary repairs on the house!

If you are willing/able to donate any products to her, please go to my Contact page and choose CQ Relief in the subject line.