Help Alyson's Family Rebuild after Bomb Cyclone Destruction

Teddy Davenport is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Alyson Mabie.

Donation protected

Hi all,

On Tuesday, November 19th, a historic bomb cyclone with wind gusts up to 70 mph hit the West Coast, leaving several dead and over half a million people without power. During this catastrophic storm, a large tree destroyed my friend Alyson’s apartment in Issaquah, WA. While Alyson, her partner Tom, and her 12-year-old daughter were able to get out mostly unscathed, their home is uninhabitable, and it’s going to take some time and funds for them to get back on their feet. Currently, Alyson’s family is staying with family nearby, but they’ll need to figure out a long-term solution soon since it’s challenging to sleep four people in a studio apartment. Although rental insurance should help cover some of the loss, we don’t know how long it will take for the claim to payout, given how extensive the damage is (both in her apartment and the West Coast generally), and there’s also bound to be many costs that won’t be covered.

Alyson and her family are some of the kindest people I’ve ever met. Alyson is a filmmaker, academic, teacher, and mother (and so much more!) I met Alyson as a fellow PhD student in Geography at the University of Washington three years ago, and I’ve seen first-hand how much she cares for both her family and for others in the department and beyond. Alyson was co-president of our department’s Geography Graduate Student Association from 2022-2024 and in 2023 was elected as Student Councilor for the American Association of Geographers (AAG). In both of those positions, I’ve seen Alyson advocate fearlessly for better conditions for grad students.

This has already been an extraordinarily difficult year for Alyson, as she had to undergo surgery for a major health problem earlier this year. She is currently underemployed while on leave from her PhD program. (Being on leave unfortunately disqualifies her from receiving emergency aid through the university). Anything that you can contribute to help Alyson and her family is greatly appreciated!

Teddy