Support Diane's Recovery After Hurricane Helene

Oh dear friends, I got the very unfortunate news that our dear dear friend Diane Borden Jones had a terrible time with Hurricane Helene. Would you please take a moment to read my story below.

Diane is one of those people; you know who I mean, she’s one of those!! If you have to choose the five most amazing, kindest, most loving, most helpful, most wonderful, most talented people you have ever met in your life. I guarantee you she’d be in your top five! I think she’s probably number one on my list!

Diane is a long term resident of Oldsmar, Florida. If you can picture Tampa Bay, she would be right at the tippy top. The hurricane came in and ravaged that area. The seawall was breached and she has lost everything. I was told by Max’s cousin McKenzie , “nothing is salvageable”.

Diane is in her 80s now and she is the youngest spirited person. She lost her dear “Jonesie” years ago and now lives alone. If you are lucky enough to meet her, your life is guaranteed to be changed for the better. She is a lifelong artist and she makes beautiful handmade paper in her home studio that (it’s unbearable to think) is now destroyed.

Just a few years ago, we were visiting Florida and Diane and I went into a coffee shop. She kind of wandered off and I saw her speaking to a woman at a table and I got my coffee and wandered back over but I didn’t want to intrude they looked like they were having a quiet conversation.

It turned out that this woman was homeless. She looked very put together and dignified, but Diane picked up on something….

But she didn’t just pick up on something she acted. She walked over, she introduced herself, she humanized her and recognized her and she helped her.

She asked her what she could get for her. The woman said she was very grateful that Diane had asked her what she would like because sometimes people would kindly give her food, but it would often be junk food and she said, even though she was unhoused, she was trying to be as healthy as she could.

Before we left the store, Diane had fed her and she gave her all the money that she had. And I will never forget that act of human kindness that I witnessed that day. I can’t tell you how many stories like this about Diane could be told.

So now my friends, my other very dear friend Diane is in need. I hope that you can find it in your heart to offer what you can to one of the kindest people that I know, Diane Borden Jones.

All my love and thanks, Laura