UPDATE: If you would like to PayPal money for Larissa, you can send to this email: paypaldonations AT alisonkent.com and all funds will be used to purchase cash cards for her.
Stephanie spoke with Larissa again today. It looks like they lost everything. Her area in Mississippi (Gulfport) took a direct hit. She’s just devastated and overwhelmed, hearing reports that her house is totally submerged.
As Larissa’s crit group, Emma, Steph and I have been batting around a few ideas as to what we can do to help her and her family, and we’d like to get things started right away.
For the next two – four weeks she and her family will be in flux, split between states so her son can start school with his grandparents while she salvages what she can once she can get back in, and her husband will be doing hurricane search and rescue (he’s Coast Guard, for those of you who aren’t familiar with Larissa and her family).
She’s not going to be in any one particular physical place to store things, and won’t be for a while. We’re thinking that what she needs right now is immediate help in the way of necessities until any emergency money or insurance kicks in.
Visa/Amex cash cards would be the best, along with gas or WalMart / Target cards. Those would cover groceries and clothes and school supplies and pet food. Home Depot and the like would help in the future with uncovered repair costs. And because she won’t have more than limited internet access, physical rather than e-certificates, would be more practical.
Anything you can do to help would be appreciated. You can use the address below, and we’ll forward anything that comes in to her as a next-day / priority kind of thing, so we make sure nothing gets lost in transit.
Access Romance
Larissa Ione
1795 N. Fry Rd. #263
Katy, TX 77449-3347





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oh, I saw pictures of Gulfport today! I can not imagine having to go through that…I will get a gift card in the mail for her tonight!
Thanks Alison and group for finding a way for me to start helping someone specific!!! I will share this with my other blog friends too :)
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what about something like paypal? would that work to get her something?
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You can purchase a Visa gift card, which is the cash card, at AAA if you are a member. Only a $5 fee, I think. Or buy them online. Here’s a link to sources where you can buy them.
http://tinyurl.com/9ddk3
Thanks for letting us know how to help, Alison.
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I love paypal. Thanks for setting up the account.
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As a Canadian we have been floundering on how best to help. Bob and I are grateful to be able to help out someone specific. We know the Red Cross works wonders but we felt we needed to do more. Our thoughts and prayers are with Larrisa and her family as well as those displaced by Katrina.
CindyS
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Thanks so much Cindy – and everyone!