Mercury One funds storm shelters in Oklahoma school, provides disaster relief after latest tornadoes

June 03, 2013

Writer

With tornadoes hammering Oklahoma for the second time in weeks this past Friday, Mercury One was once again on the ground within hours and providing relief to those who were affected. Mercury One and Glenn Beck donated $350,000 to “Shelter Oklahoma Schools”, a new group that builds storm shelters and safe houses within schools in Oklahoma.

“Anyone who has a child will tell you the safety and security of their children is tops on their daily priorities list. Knowing that our donation will go toward shelters that make kids safer during the school day is a heart-warming thing,” Glenn said.

“Seeing this group do so much good already so soon after the storm is proof positive of how people can quickly come together and provide for one another without having to wait on government to take care of them,” he added. “The Shelter Oklahoma Schools organization is proof of how great things can happen when people stand together to help one another.”

Mercury One presented the $350,000 check on Saturday.

Mercury One also donated $250,000 to the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office to help them fund the purchase of a mobile command center to better prepare them for tornados and other disasters. Several of the deputies who had their homes destroyed also received funds from Mercury One.

So far, Mercury One has raised over $1.7 million for tornado relief efforts in the Midwest.

Much of the fundraising for the tornado relief was done via social media. Immediately after hearing about the devastating tornado that tore through Moore, Glenn took to Twitter to find volunteers with trucks to bring food, water and diapers to Oklahoma. Within hours volunteers answered Glenn's call for assistance by providing trucks and drivers. Operation Blessing, a charity that Mercury One has partnered with before, filled the relief tractor-trailers with the needed supplies.

In one day, Mercury One was able to raise over $500,000 for disaster relief through 6,000 donations. Currently, they have raised a total of $1,738,885 with over 19,000 donations. Their current goal is to raise $2 million.

Glenn also used his TV and radio shows to tell inspiring stories of neighbors helping neighbors in Oklahoma, and to raise funds and awareness for Mercury One’s disaster relief efforts.

"Glenn Beck is our biggest advocate and supporter. Not only did he freely give of his radio and TV time to ask his audience to donate but he came to Oklahoma, to the heart of the devastation, to broadcast his radio show. The donations to Mercury One exceeded our highest expectations because Glenn was there and able to describe what we saw and felt," said Mercury One President Joe Kerry.

Speaking on radio after returning from Oklahoma on May 22nd, Glenn took a moment to praise the people in his audience who had done so much to help others with their time and donations.

“I believe this radio audience and this growing network has the most incredible listeners, readers, and viewers in the country, possibly the world,” he said. “I am fortunate enough to be surrounded by people who really do believe that the world can be a better place.”

This isn’t the first time that Glenn has called on his audience to help others. When Hurricane Sandy devastated New York City, Mercury One was one of the first organizations to provide relief to hard hit areas like Coney Island.

In two days, Mercury One raised over $300,000 in relief for Hurricane Sandy. Eventually Glenn's audience raised just under $2,000,000 for the Hurricane Sandy Disaster Relief Fund.

Joe Kerry met with members of New York Christian Resource Center at a church in Coney Island not long after the Hurricane hit, and was surprised to find that no other organization had reached out to them to provide relief. The church had no power and their basement and parts of the first floor were flooded. Mercury One donated $100,000 so repairs could begin immediately on the church.

Mercury One also teamed up with Operation Blessing to immediately disperse $100,000 in supplies to 46 churches and synagogues in the area and continued to provide funds and volunteers to assist in the clean up.

Jim Esposito of the NYCRC praised Mercury One’s efforts, saying “You have no idea what you guys have brought to us today – the hope that’s descended here in Coney Island, Brooklyn and beyond. You were the first people to come to this community, to this church and to see what we need. And that’s God’s honest truth. They didn’t know where they were going to turn today. And I’m glad that you were there. Thank you so much, sir.”

Mercury One also partnered with HopeNYC for their Day Of Hope providing funds to purchase food, supplies, teddy bears and hot meals for a community on Long Island.

The NYPD and its officers were especially hard-hit and while many people in other professions were able to take time off to rebuild, the officers of the NYPD were working longer shifts to deal with the effects of the hurricane. Mercury One contributed $250,000 to the NYPD Hurricane Sandy Assistance fund so its members and officers could focus on the safety of the citizens of NYC and not about finding the money to rebuild.

Mercury One doesn’t just provide disaster relief. The group also helped raise over $600,000 dollars to honor Chris Kyle, an American hero who served overseas and helped recovering veterans with his time and through his foundation. A fellow veteran killed him in February of 2013. Donations raised by Mercury One went to the Chris Kyle Memorial and FITCO Cares, a foundation started by Kyle and the Littlefield family.

Mercury One also organized the Day of Service during Restoring Love in Dallas, TX last summer. During that day, thousands of volunteers were sent out across the Dallas/Ft. Worth area to work at a variety of service projects.

Mercury One has been an active presence at Glenn’s summer events over the past two years. These events help raise money to cover Mercury One’s administrative and operating costs so that 100% of donations raised during a tragedy can go to providing relief efforts to the people in need.

Mercury One was founded with the motto: “For government to do less we need to do more.” The organization serves as an example of the principles of personal responsibility and individual charity being put into action.

Visit MercuryOne.org for details on how you can donate.

'Rage against the dying of the light': Charlie Kirk lived that mandate

PHILL MAGAKOE / Contributor | Getty Images

Kirk’s tragic death challenges us to rise above fear and anger, to rebuild bridges where others build walls, and to fight for the America he believed in.

I’ve only felt this weight once before. It was 2001, just as my radio show was about to begin. The World Trade Center fell, and I was called to speak immediately. I spent the day and night by my bedside, praying for words that could meet the moment.

Yesterday, I found myself in the same position. September 11, 2025. The assassination of Charlie Kirk. A friend. A warrior for truth.

Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins.

Moments like this make words feel inadequate. Yet sometimes, words from another time speak directly to our own. In 1947, Dylan Thomas, watching his father slip toward death, penned lines that now resonate far beyond his own grief:

Do not go gentle into that good night. / Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Thomas was pleading for his father to resist the impending darkness of death. But those words have become a mandate for all of us: Do not surrender. Do not bow to shadows. Even when the battle feels unwinnable.

Charlie Kirk lived that mandate. He knew the cost of speaking unpopular truths. He knew the fury of those who sought to silence him. And yet he pressed on. In his life, he embodied a defiance rooted not in anger, but in principle.

Picking up his torch

Washington, Jefferson, Adams — our history was started by men who raged against an empire, knowing the gallows might await. Lincoln raged against slavery. Martin Luther King Jr. raged against segregation. Every generation faces a call to resist surrender.

It is our turn. Charlie’s violent death feels like a knockout punch. Yet if his life meant anything, it means this: Silence in the face of darkness is not an option.

He did not go gently. He spoke. He challenged. He stood. And now, the mantle falls to us. To me. To you. To every American.

We cannot drift into the shadows. We cannot sit quietly while freedom fades. This is our moment to rage — not with hatred, not with vengeance, but with courage. Rage against lies, against apathy, against the despair that tells us to do nothing. Because there is always something you can do.

Even small acts — defiance, faith, kindness — are light in the darkness. Reaching out to those who mourn. Speaking truth in a world drowning in deceit. These are the flames that hold back the night. Charlie carried that torch. He laid it down yesterday. It is ours to pick up.

The light may dim, but it always does before dawn. Commit today: I will not sleep as freedom fades. I will not retreat as darkness encroaches. I will not be silent as evil forces claim dominion. I have no king but Christ. And I know whom I serve, as did Charlie.

Two turning points, decades apart

On Wednesday, the world changed again. Two tragedies, separated by decades, bound by the same question: Who are we? Is this worth saving? What kind of people will we choose to be?

Imagine a world where more of us choose to be peacemakers. Not passive, not silent, but builders of bridges where others erect walls. Respect and listening transform even the bitterest of foes. Charlie Kirk embodied this principle.

He did not strike the weak; he challenged the powerful. He reached across divides of politics, culture, and faith. He changed hearts. He sparked healing. And healing is what our nation needs.

At the center of all this is one truth: Every person is a child of God, deserving of dignity. Change will not happen in Washington or on social media. It begins at home, where loneliness and isolation threaten our souls. Family is the antidote. Imperfect, yes — but still the strongest source of stability and meaning.

Mark Wilson / Staff | Getty Images

Forgiveness, fidelity, faithfulness, and honor are not dusty words. They are the foundation of civilization. Strong families produce strong citizens. And today, Charlie’s family mourns. They must become our family too. We must stand as guardians of his legacy, shining examples of the courage he lived by.

A time for courage

I knew Charlie. I know how he would want us to respond: Multiply his courage. Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins. Out of darkness, great and glorious things will sprout — but we must be worthy of them.

Charlie Kirk lived defiantly. He stood in truth. He changed the world. And now, his torch is in our hands. Rage, not in violence, but in unwavering pursuit of truth and goodness. Rage against the dying of the light.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Glenn Beck resurrects the 9-12 Project to support Charlie Kirk's family

Glenn Beck is once again calling on his loyal listeners and viewers to come together and channel the same unity and purpose that defined the historic 9-12 Project. That movement, born in the wake of national challenges, brought millions together to revive core values of faith, hope, and charity.

Glenn created the original 9-12 Project in early 2009 to bring Americans back to where they were in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. In those moments, we weren't Democrats and Republicans, conservative or liberal, Red States or Blue States, we were united as one, as America. The original 9-12 Project aimed to root America back in the founding principles of this country that united us during those darkest of days.

This new initiative draws directly from that legacy, focusing on supporting the family of Charlie Kirk in these dark days following his tragic murder.

The revival of the 9-12 Project aims to secure the long-term well-being of Charlie Kirk's wife and children. All donations will go straight to meeting their immediate and future needs. If the family deems the funds surplus to their requirements, Charlie's wife has the option to redirect them toward the vital work of Turning Point USA.

This campaign is more than just financial support—it's a profound gesture of appreciation for Kirk's tireless dedication to the cause of liberty. It embodies the unbreakable bond of our community, proving that when we stand united, we can make a real difference.
Glenn Beck invites you to join this effort. Show your solidarity by donating today and honoring Charlie Kirk and his family in this meaningful way.

You can learn more about the 9-12 Project and donate HERE

The critical difference: Rights from the Creator, not the state

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

When politicians claim that rights flow from the state, they pave the way for tyranny.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) recently delivered a lecture that should alarm every American. During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, he argued that believing rights come from a Creator rather than government is the same belief held by Iran’s theocratic regime.

Kaine claimed that the principles underpinning Iran’s dictatorship — the same regime that persecutes Sunnis, Jews, Christians, and other minorities — are also the principles enshrined in our Declaration of Independence.

In America, rights belong to the individual. In Iran, rights serve the state.

That claim exposes either a profound misunderstanding or a reckless indifference to America’s founding. Rights do not come from government. They never did. They come from the Creator, as the Declaration of Independence proclaims without qualification. Jefferson didn’t hedge. Rights are unalienable — built into every human being.

This foundation stands worlds apart from Iran. Its leaders invoke God but grant rights only through clerical interpretation. Freedom of speech, property, religion, and even life itself depend on obedience to the ruling clerics. Step outside their dictates, and those so-called rights vanish.

This is not a trivial difference. It is the essence of liberty versus tyranny. In America, rights belong to the individual. The government’s role is to secure them, not define them. In Iran, rights serve the state. They empower rulers, not the people.

From Muhammad to Marx

The same confusion applies to Marxist regimes. The Soviet Union’s constitutions promised citizens rights — work, health care, education, freedom of speech — but always with fine print. If you spoke out against the party, those rights evaporated. If you practiced religion openly, you were charged with treason. Property and voting were allowed as long as they were filtered and controlled by the state — and could be revoked at any moment. Rights were conditional, granted through obedience.

Kaine seems to be advocating a similar approach — whether consciously or not. By claiming that natural rights are somehow comparable to sharia law, he ignores the critical distinction between inherent rights and conditional privileges. He dismisses the very principle that made America a beacon of freedom.

Jefferson and the founders understood this clearly. “We are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights,” they wrote. No government, no cleric, no king can revoke them. They exist by virtue of humanity itself. The government exists to protect them, not ration them.

This is not a theological quibble. It is the entire basis of our government. Confuse the source of rights, and tyranny hides behind piety or ideology. The people are disempowered. Clerics, bureaucrats, or politicians become arbiters of what rights citizens may enjoy.

John Greim / Contributor | Getty Images

Gifts from God, not the state

Kaine’s statement reflects either a profound ignorance of this principle or an ideological bias that favors state power over individual liberty. Either way, Americans must recognize the danger. Understanding the origin of rights is not academic — it is the difference between freedom and submission, between the American experiment and theocratic or totalitarian rule.

Rights are not gifts from the state. They are gifts from God, secured by reason, protected by law, and defended by the people. Every American must understand this. Because when rights come from government instead of the Creator, freedom disappears.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

POLL: Is Gen Z’s anger over housing driving them toward socialism?

NurPhoto / Contributor | Getty Images

A recent poll conducted by Justin Haskins, a long-time friend of the show, has uncovered alarming trends among young Americans aged 18-39, revealing a generation grappling with deep frustrations over economic hardships, housing affordability, and a perceived rigged system that favors the wealthy, corporations, and older generations. While nearly half of these likely voters approve of President Trump, seeing him as an anti-establishment figure, over 70% support nationalizing major industries, such as healthcare, energy, and big tech, to promote "equity." Shockingly, 53% want a democratic socialist to win the 2028 presidential election, including a third of Trump voters and conservatives in this age group. Many cite skyrocketing housing costs, unfair taxation on the middle class, and a sense of being "stuck" or in crisis as driving forces, with 62% believing the economy is tilted against them and 55% backing laws to confiscate "excess wealth" like second homes or luxury items to help first-time buyers.

This blend of Trump support and socialist leanings suggests a volatile mix: admiration for disruptors who challenge the status quo, coupled with a desire for radical redistribution to address personal struggles. Yet, it raises profound questions about the roots of this discontent—Is it a failure of education on history's lessons about socialism's failures? Media indoctrination? Or genuine systemic barriers? And what does it portend for the nation’s trajectory—greater division, a shift toward authoritarian policies, or an opportunity for renewal through timeless values like hard work and individual responsibility?

Glenn wants to know what YOU think: Where do Gen Z's socialist sympathies come from? What does it mean for the future of America? Make your voice heard in the poll below:

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism comes from perceived economic frustrations like unaffordable housing and a rigged system favoring the wealthy and corporations?

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism, including many Trump supporters, is due to a lack of education about the historical failures of socialist systems?

Do you think that these poll results indicate a growing generational divide that could lead to more political instability and authoritarian tendencies in America's future?

Do you think that this poll implies that America's long-term stability relies on older generations teaching Gen Z and younger to prioritize self-reliance, free-market ideals, and personal accountability?

Glenn's Show Prep