LA FINCA: ONE LOVE, MANY HANDS

Corky Parker is organizing this fundraiser.

Donation protected

This is the part where I'm supposed to explain what happened, and why I'm asking for help. But I think you all know...I've put off asking for months. I didn't think I ever would. I didn't want to take any charity dollars from others more in need. I also thought the finca was a lost cause. But we now know too much is still there, and too many of you are asking to help.

So this campaign is only going out to just our finca friends and family. That's you. You know what what the finca meant to you. And you may know what we meant to the schools, camps, environmental and other community groups we gave to. Loosing that ability has been one of the hardest things about Maria's destruction for me.

So, now that we've had a chance to access the craziness we know we can repair and rebuild most everything except the main house, and the manager's cabin. We'll be able to sleep up to 15. Once I figured out that instead of taking donations, I could offer up future stays in return, I felt much better about this whole thing.

$20,000 will get us a long way towards cleaning up the massive debris, getting the remaining cabins and houses back to finca standards ;) repairing the pool, replacing needed tools and equipment.

First and foremost know that anything you give, helps. And these donation levels and rewards are somewhat silly and arbitrary. If you can't give, share with your friends who know and love the finca, that might not have gotten this. Or organize a work party. There'll be work to do for a long time...

I trust you understand, that even with our best efforts, a stay at the finca will be very different...it may be a long long time for us to restore the magic, but we are determined to try. To be as clear as these blurry times allow, giving is based on a leap of faith somewhat. I've learned the hard way that unimaginable "stuff" happens. If there's another hurricane like Maria, who knows if, or how, we'd make it through. If our so called president decides to trade Puerto Rico away in a Mar a Lago sweepstakes scam , or FEMA declares eco businesses illegal, we may not be able to return the favors. I need you to know that.

If that worst case were to happen, we would personally reimburse you for your donation if you wanted it. Truly, with the current administration's continued neglect of helping with Puerto Rico's basic needs, it makes rebuilding a harder job, and giving and community, more important than ever. As tried to explain to my kids when we thought it was totally gone, -- now its our job to keep the finca's magic going -- in our hearts. If we dont have the place, we just have to carry it with us, and keep sharing somehow. Guess that's the one love thing.