We've all seen the devastation that Mother Nature can cause, from hurricanes to earthquakes, wildfires and beyond.  Often times, families are left with destroyed homes, or badly damaged homes and no power for a very long time.

"In the wake of disasters, small comforts make a big difference."  This headline can be found on the Tide Loads of Hope homepage.  If you're not familiar with Tide Loads of Hope, it's all about helping others during their time of need.  Tide is partnering with America's Second Harvest to bring the Tide CleanStart Truck (a free mobile laundry facility) to families in need. 

This program was launched in November of 2005 after Hurricane Katrina, where they provided over 10,000 loads of free laundry at Camp Hope in Metarie, Louisiana.  If you'd like to see a video journal of the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts please click here.  The foundation of Tide Loads of Hope is built around what was achieved during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

The CleanStart truck has now moved on to the Mountainview Community Church in Ramona, CA, to assist the victims of the California wildfires.  The CleanStart truck has the capacity to do 300 wash and dry cycles each day (the amount of laundry that a single family does in a year).  Ideally, the CleanStart truck would finish its job in California and then be done, but realistically, it will be needed again.  When the need arises, the CleanStart truck will be mobilized to the area in need. 

Tide is also doing their part to assist in the rebuilding efforts for families affected by Hurricane Katrina and the California wildfires by selling Tide Vintage T-Shirts.  The cost of these t-shirts is only $15, and all of the profits are donated towards the rebuilding efforts for those families in need.  There has been such overwhelming support for this program that the initial shipment of t-shirts has already sold out.  There is a new shipment arriving in January, but since these shirts are limited edition, this will be the last shipment of shirts.

Before joining the real estate profession, I was involved with screen printing of t-shirts, amongst other apparel items.  I can tell you with absolute certainty that most of the $15 is going towards helping others in need.  In fact, I would venture to say that at least $12 of every purchase is going towards the rebuilding efforts for the victims of Hurricane Katrina and the California wildfires.

Since joining Active Rain, I have become friends with people that were affected by each of these disasters, which has only made me appreciate Tide's efforts even more.  We should all be thankful that companies like Tide go the extra mile to help people.  Who knows?  It's possible that any one of us could be in need of Tide's assistance in the future.