Support Families Affected by Hurricane Helene

My prayers go out to all the families and businesses that were deeply affected by Hurricane Helene. They are saying worst it's the worst storm to hit the Tampa Bay Area in over a century.

Mahalo to everyone who reached out to me via phone calls, text messages, FaceTime, Instagram, Facebook, etc to offer prayers and support before, during, and after the storm. We were extremely lucky... another 6 inches of storm surge water would've entered my house. We were the spared torrential rain which probably would've guaranteed flooding for us. We made it out okay - just broken tree branches and a lot of debris. Others were not so lucky.

I've never been so close to this level of destruction. It really does hit harder when you experience it 1st hand. I've never started a GoFundMe, and I truly don't expect or require anything from anyone. But we have some people in our lives that we want to help:

Wendy "Gigi" (Alex's mom), who in the process of packing up her house and about to make a big move to Georgia, lost a lot of her belongings due to her home flooding before she could pack everything up.

The Stitt Ohana - we met this family randomly at a Botanical Garden where our kids hit it off. Since meeting them they've welcomed us into their lives and are just the most Aloha-spirited family we've met during our time here. The live right across the beach and water from the ocean came up 4ft up their walls.

The Covello Ohana - my boss at work experienced 2ft of flooding throughout both his and his mother's home. 3 cars were totaled.

Liam's baseball coach - similarly their house was devastated due to flooding and so many of their belongings need to be replaced and house restored.

Barbara (elderly woman down the street) - sweetest woman who lives by herself. We give her Kirkland cases of water because that's her favorite tasting water. She was trapped in her house during the storm surge, lost power, no A/C in this Florida heat, threw out a lot of furniture and personal belongings. We brought her over to our house just so she could sit in some A/C and cool off and to get out of the mildew-smelling home.

These are the people and families near and dear to our hearts that we know were tragically affected. Personal items can be replaced. Insurance can help recoup some of the costs to rebuild. The main thing is that they and their families are all okay.

I would love to help everyone as much as I could. And so the purpose of this GoFundMe would be to bless these families with a little positivity and monetary support. And just for them to see the goodness in people in these troubling times.

Mahalo for taking the time to visit the link and read through this description. If can, can. If no can, please offer a prayer! Like I said, this is me doing my part. Financially, emotionally, and physically where they need it.

Aloha

Jonathan