As many of you have been following, Hurricane Harvey has devastated the area around Houston, Texas. I am sure that many of you have already donated to help with relief efforts there because that’s the kind of people we are, but, sometimes it’s hard to know what to do in a situation like this to offer assistance. The Washington Post has published a list of organizations and contact information in order to help with mundane needs.
I do have a personal stake in this, Master Kieran, my husband and our Comet Persuivant, grew up in one of the areas effected and still has family and friends there, some of whom have been evacuated and who are waiting to return to their homes to assess the damage. Everyone is okay, but with Harvey poised to hit Houston again later this week, they may be evacuated again if the floodwaters continue to rise. This is not only true for our family, but for many others in the Houston area, some of whom have already been evacuated multiple times to stay ahead of the flooding.
Lady Marion inghean ui Ruanadha, the Disaster Relief Coordinator in Ansteorra, has set up a PayPal that can be donated to and is receiving gift card donations at her home in Keller, TX. Donations can be sent to the PayPal address AnsteorraTwister(at)gmail(dot)com or mailed to
Brandy Merrell
629 Unbridled Lane
Keller, TX 76248
They are not receiving other donations at this time as cash/gift card donations can be applied to whatever the most immediate need is at that time. Once Harvey is over and more is known as far as needs, Lady Marion will be posting more specific information. Please see the article in the Aethelmearc Gazette for additional details from her missive.
Another thing that our friends in Ansteorra are going to need is more SCA-centric things and the Signet’s office has already put in place a means by which to donate scroll blanks to help replace lost scrolls/scroll blanks in Ansteorra. Here is the information how to how to participate:
My Fellow Scribes-
Our Royal Majesties and Royal Highnesses along with your Signets:
Antoinette and Shirin request that you hear the good words of THL Mairghread Stoibheard inghean ui Choinne who wishes to spearhead a campaign to collect scroll blanks for our Ansteorran cousins in their time of need as their lands have been devastated by that well-known scoundrel Harvey.
“I am asking for a scribe in each region to also serve as a collection point in addition to the Signets as I will only be attending Harvest Raids and Fall Academy as of right now.
These can be newly prepared blanks or existing blanks donated by your Baronage, Shires and/or Dominions and/or their scriptoria.
As you know, purchasing a scroll blank is either cost prohibitive or nearly impossible. Many of our friends have lost their current scrolls to the inclement weather.
If you are willing to serve as a collector for Scroll Blanks of Ansteorra or can suggest a collector for your region, please respond to my email.
I remain yours in service,
THL Mairghread Stoibheard inghean ui Choinne (mundane Margaret Wilcox)”
wilcox.margaret(at)gmail(dot)com
As things progress and the floodwaters receive, I know that there will be additional calls for assistance as people assess what they have lost. While it often can not feel like much, every donation helps. FEMA has already stated that cleanup efforts will take years, not months, and much of what has been and will be lost are irreplacable, we can still help.
Odriana, Seneschal