As I sit down to write today in Northern N.J., friends and industry colleagues located hundreds to a thousand or so miles from here are facing unthinkable challenges as they deal with the aftermath of two natural disasters. Hurricanes Helene and Milton wreaked havoc on homes, lives and businesses recently across stretches of the U.S., impacting businesses and residents across Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee, and others. The American Optometric Association (AOA) estimates that more than 7,700 optometrists alone have been affected, with that being just part of the picture of loss.

Even having lived through Hurricane Katrina through the eyes and hearts of family in Southern Louisiana, with nearly a weeklong wait before we knew the status of their well-being, and through Hurricane Sandy here in New Jersey, I still cannot begin to fathom what our family, friends and industry peers are facing in these areas in the aftermath of damage, loss of homes or businesses, and in some cases, loss of life. My heart is open, full and with these colleagues and friends as they work back from the unthinkable.

While it is difficult now, my hope is that at some point we can look back at this time and see the light emerging from behind the clouds. Vision Monday, through its VMAIL newsletter, has shared articles on the charitable work happening to help peers in need. From the largest retailers in the industry, to individuals across the country, and, notably, within the impacted areas themselves, we see that donations of time, energy and people continue to pour in.

Vision Monday has launched a survey to gauge the effects of the hurricanes on the optical industry, and while we haven’t yet reported on the results, we are beginning to review entries that reveal heartbreaking stories of loss, but also stories of support, hope and resilience. I would encourage anyone impacted by these storms to participate in the survey, including both ECPs as well as those in the industry who are providing support. We want to hear from you, support you, and highlight the resources that are available.

To that end, we also have published a grid of resources and support available to help those in need. Please be sure to visit https://bit.ly/hurricane_survey to take the survey and https://bit.ly/hurricane_resources to review the list of available resources. If your business is providing support and is not listed, please email me so that we can ensure the list is comprehensive.

Functioning now in the aftermath of these devastating disasters, our hearts are with all of those impacted. And we will continue to do all we can to share their stories—your stories—and help the light shine from behind the clouds.

acooper@jobson.com