My Friend James Lea a fellow ham, emergency comss guy and cinematographer whose family are all amatuer radio ops, is in trouble of loosing his home due to an injury. If you can help please do. If you have a website that you can post this please do that as well.
He is also a III too.
https://www.gofundme.com/help-the-lea-family-get-back-on-their-feet?fbclid=IwAR2buMvPJ2eaimvwue_keH2N9sQ3GRtyVffOci0VdZ4Ex4LxaTGmV8T1RHwIn October 2018, James was working covering the landfall and aftermath of Hurricane Michael in the Panhandle of Florida. While shooting stock footage of the aftermath, he heard over amateur radio of an urgent need for communicators to respond to the affected area to help coordinate the relief efforts. James immediately made the decision to put down his camera (meaning that he stopped earning an income to volunteer to help save lives) and spent over a week in the the town of Wewahitchka, Florida volunteering to provide life-saving communications via amateur radio. Before arriving in Wewahitchka, he helped establish communications between the Emergency Operations Centers in Calhoun and Liberty Counties and the State EOC in Tallahassee. James also helped provide communications to help get a fireman who was septic evacuated via helicopter to a hospital where he was able to receive life-saving surgery. This volunteer effort cost a significant amount of income because James was not out shooting footage that he could sell.
What Happened?
Through the negligence of others, James traumatically injured his right shoulder and recently underwent major rotator cuff surgery to repair the damage. Recovery may take as long as a year and he is unable to work as a Director of Photography/cinematographer until he is fully recovered.
During this recovery process, James is unable to pick up a camera, much less put one on his shoulder! Prior to the surgery, James had a large, well-paying contract for a training video that would have provided a few months income to help offset his inability to work.
Less than two days prior to the project's beginning (a mere week prior to the surgery), the client pulled out, saying that they did not know that James was not operating as a Corporation. James spent two months being vetted for the job, including having to pass multiple security checks and drug screenings, all of which he passed.
We later found out that the client's client decided that they wanted another company, owned by a relative of theirs, to produce the project.
Our savings has been exhausted and the State of Florida does not have a short-term disability program for self-employed entrepreneurs. In a short period of time, we have gone from self-sufficient to facing eviction and are unable to keep up with the bills.