This is our version of a giant thank you note. Picture it accompanied with bunches of flowers & signatures from everyone at Invisible Children.

When we think of the two months since the release of KONY 2012, several things come to mind: metaphorical explosions of the world, pulling all-nighters, and tears (happy & sad). And throughout that time, several things have saved us: our IT department, coffee and kleenex (for the happy & sad & illnesses that come from too many all-nighters). That said, there is nothing (NOTHING) that has saved us more than the two essential companies that everyone should be lucky enough to do business with: PhoneAll and Reel Picture.

PhoneAll’s Christi, Paul & Josh = priceless

Readers: allow us to explain. While you were making Kony famous, our phones started ringing off the hook & all of our internet sites crashed. Ashes to ashes. We needed help and we needed it fast. Enter PhoneAll. They are a local San Diego, family-owned company who we have been using for years and years. At the drop of a hat they showed up with what we needed more than anything (besides more coffee): 20 additional phones & a bunch of ethernet jacks. Install more phone lines, check. Plan our systems, check. Make it so we can speak with our supporters, check. Life saving, plan and simple (not life saving like our programs in Central Africa, but life saving like a gas station in the Sahara Desert).

And once all that was under control, it was time to tackle the Action Kits.

Reel Picture employees outside of their warehouse

Premise: The amount of Action Kit orders that came in was overwhelming. There is literally no other word for it. Not only did we not see that coming (the demand for kits or the hundred million views of the video – any way you slice it, overwhelming) but as our shipping department previously consisted of three people and one customer service intern, we were not prepared. Enter Reel Picture. They are a fulfillment center that we had worked with in the past who handled the assembly of our Bracelet DVD’s.

Reel is run by Michael Ishayik, who was hugely instrumental in helping us come up with the plan to fulfill the orders. It takes lots of planning, people. And then to execute: Reel had 25 people working 8 hour shifts 24/7 for weeks. As I am a writer and not a mathematician, I can only tell you that’s a ton of man hours.

There is no way to properly express our appreciation. It would take weeks & months of articulation, and even then we would fall short. So we’re starting with a blog post, and hoping that these two companies know how much they saved us during the most integral of times. And just to be clear: THANK YOU.

-Krista