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Third Wave Volunteers, To The Rescue!

In the aftermath of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, Coin Up partner, Third Wave Volunteers headed to Houston and then to Miami to provide search and rescue, medical aid and recovery assistance. In Houston, TWV Founder and Executive Director, Dr. Alison Thompson, explains how the team improvised when their large boat couldn’t make it into narrow flood zones. “I saw a bush with a big yellow blowup duck sitting in it so we used the duck to get into the hard to get to areas with houses surrounded by water and crocs, as we found out later. We did rescues on it all day and many dogs were saved.” (Florida photo tbd) Days later, after sandbagging and evacuating her own home in Miami, Alison and TWV returned to South Florida and began bringing aid to some of the communities hardest hit by Irma.

Sidelined by a leg injury, Alison took charge of the command center, coordinating volunteers, equipment, food and supplies for areas from Ft. Meyers to the Florida Keys. Amid the destruction and loss of life, Alison reflected on the good that rises from disasters such as these. “There’s been so much hatred in this country this year, so now is a time for love, and I’m seeing everyone coming together – no colors or borders – just humans helping humans. And everybody’s equal — for now. I know that won’t last long, but love is here right now. I see it. I smell it. And love wins. That’s what our country needs right now.” Moving forward, TWV will expand there outreach to Puerto Rico and continues to put out calls for volunteers, supplies and donations via their Facebook page . To support these heroic efforts, Coin Up is proud to share TWV’s posts.