Like so many others across the world, I watched in horror last month as Hurricane Harvey devastated Houston and South Texas. Although I currently live in Dallas, I was born and raised in Houston, and I still have family and friends who live there. Now, Houston is no stranger to hurricanes and floods, and I lived through my fair share while growing up. But, I can honestly say that I've never been more terrified for my loved ones back in my hometown. I would wake up every morning and text them to see how their night went (and try to remain as upbeat and positive as possible). "Are you still dry? How are you? Just checking in!" Thankfully, no text went unanswered for long, and all of my family members made it through the storm unscathed. Unfortunately, some of my childhood friends, alongside millions of Texans, were not so lucky.
I paced around my dry home in Dallas feeling helpless. I had already donated money, but it just didn't feel like enough. I knew I could do MORE. Without a second thought, I grabbed my phone and frantically called my friend Vickie Black, the brains behind Senior Style Guide. "VICKIE! It's Jen. I need your help with something. I have friends and family in Houston, and I want to help, but I don't know how. Give me a call as soon as you get this." Not long after, my phone rang. It was Vickie.
"I'm on board! Can you give me 24 hours to get it figured out? Let me make some calls, and I call you back tomorrow." Two days later, our plan was in motion and I called upon my fellow Push speakers for help. If anyone could help me make an impact, it was them! Thus, the Impact Bundle was born!
The Impact Bundle features education guides and tutorials from some of the top senior photographers in the industry: Amanda Holloway, Tara Rochelle, Sean Brown, Ike and Tash Haynes, Christina Ramirez, Claire Anderson, Craig Stidham, Teri Fode, Devon Jones, Jackie Palmer, and Stephanie Newbold. WHCC, The Modern Collective, and Senior Style Guide also jumped on board to help! All of the proceeds from this bundle go directly to #hurricaneharveyrelief. Check out the video below for more information!
Our first goal was $10,000. Because the photography community is so amazing, as is the quality of the products included in this bundle, we hit that goal in less than 24 hours! So, we upped our goal to $15,000. We hit that goal, too. So we raised it again, this time to $20,000. As of today, less than 2 weeks after the release, we've raised $19,300!!!! If we can get 8 more people to purchase this bundle, we will hit our goal!!
Want to help? Here's what you can do:
2. Not a photographer but still want to help? Donate what you can on the Push for a Change website's "Every Little Bit" page. As the saying goes, "Every little bit helps!"
3. Get the word out by sharing this blog post on your social media pages! Just hit the share buttons below to post to your Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites!
Thank you to EVERYONE who contributed, donated, and purchased the bundle! Together we are making a HUGE impact in the lives of Texans, and I could not be more proud of my community. You guys ROCK! And a major shout out to Britney Jeanine of Britney Jeanine + Co. for donating her killer design skills. She's the brilliant mind who designed all of our graphics for this campaign (as well as my company logo and this website!!), and we could not have done it without her.