While the actual event of Hurricane Ian ravaging Florida has come to an end, serving the areas hit by the impacts are just getting started. Areas on both the West and East Coasts of Florida are impacted, from flooding to damaged homes and business, there is BEYOND plenty of need to serve these communities. I live in New Smyrna Beach, FL which is in Volusia County, Central Florida. This county is the only county on the East Coast of Florida to be deemed a disaster zone by FEMA.

While I am beyond blessed to say that I, my family, and my home area are safe, many of those around me are not so fortunate. Although I have lived in Florida for much of the last 10 years, this is the first hurricane that I have endured (ie, did not evacuate for, that also had a significant impact on my community). While living in South Florida, my husband and I evacuated for Hurricane Irma, and for Hurricane Dorian, we stayed and were spared by its last minute turn, which was otherwise set to directly hit us.

Now, I am sitting here living in a conflictual place of gratitude for being safe, and yet, also, saddened by my local community. Most often, the immediate response is to help those in need… the elderly, families, children. BUT, the group that often gets overlooked is the animals who also experience these natural disasters.

As a crazy cat lady, oops, I mean animal lover, I was BEYOND saddened to learn that at the onset of Hurricane Ian entering our area, and nearby animal shelter, Edgewater Animal Shelter became flooded, forcing employees and volunteers to evaluate animals and send them to other nearby shelters. These displaced animals were split, with one shelter receiving all the cats, while another received all of the dogs.

Southeast Volusia Humane Society (SEVHS), which happens to be about 2 miles from my house, received all of the cats. This meant, in the middle of bracing for a Category 1 or 2 hurricane, that our local shelter was set to manage over 100 cats and kittens. Thankfully, their grounds were not flooded and were able to offer the necessary housing and assistance to keep all these felines safe. But with people losing their homes, it also means they are displacing animals by bringing them to shelters. You see, some people are losing their job because their car flooded and they now have no means of transportation. Some are not able to afford feeding & caring for their pet(s).

All of this hardship takes it toll on everyone!

As an aside, SEVHS is where I got our most recent animal rescue, Shadow, who happens to be just that… MY SHADOW (Scroll to the end for a photo of his cute self). He is loud in his motor and meow, very expressive, and has a strong affinity for me (although he’s grown closer to my husband and our other cat, Ginger). Because of how much I completely love and adore Shadow and respect the work that those affiliated with animal shelters, I feel called to be able to serve this often forgotten population, especially during natural disasters.

Hence, here I am hosting an online fundraiser for those who have asked how they can specifically help me and my community. Whether you live near or far, here is your opportunity to support. Both SEVHS and Edgewater Animal Shelter are in need, as SEVHS has immediate needs to be able to support the immediate caring taking of the cats/dogs, while Edgewater had damage to the premises that requires repairs before being able to securing caretaking for all the animals to the same level of care pre-hurricane.

This fundraiser will run the entire month of November, with proceeds going to both shelters.

Can I just tell you how much I love these all-natural, soy candles, especially those that are ocean-inspired (although they have lot of other scents too)!?!?!

These are the candles that I have used for years in my home to be able to connect with the scents of the beach and ocean 365 days a year, as well as during yoga classes. For those that have attended a class with me, you might have heard me talk about Beach Bum, Beach House, or Beach Party. Right now, they also have produced some seasonal scents, like Bourbon Pumpkin, that you may love, especially with the holiday season upon us.

Check out these offerings from Surf’s Up Candles! They make great gifts for yourself, family, friends, and co-workers.

There are various sizes to meet every need and there are some cute gift sets that I love.

Again, this fundraiser is near and dear to my heart and directly supports the needs of my community which, sadly, has many days, weeks, months, and years for people and business to bounce back from the devastation of Hurricane Ian.

Simply go to this link for SurfsUp Fundraising, add to your cart, and at checkout use the code: DrSandi (not case sensitive). At the end of the end of the month, I will take the proceeds and distribute to SEVHS and Edgewater Animal Shelter.

Take care and remember to breathe,

-Dr. Sandi

PS-Here's Shadow.