Hi, my name is Erik, and I'm raising money to help my grandmother Francia ("Lola Franz") and cousins rebuild their lives after their home burned down on July 7, 2022 in the Philippines on the island of Cebu.

We are grateful that everyone got out safely. Still, they lost just about everything: food, clothes, medicine, furniture, a work computer, a school computer, and so many items of sentimental value. The gravest challenge is that Lola Franz lost her source of income. A widow and a diligent, steadfast mother of 8 children, she was renting rooms in her home to a handful of tenants who also lost their possessions and housing.

Francia, my grandmother, had just returned to her home in March 2022 after two years of lock-down at my aunt's house near the capital city of Manila. After only a few months back in her own home of over 50 years, disaster struck. The fire started in one of the spaces occupied by a tenant. Within an hour, everything was destroyed. The home was uninsured since it was older and homeowner's insurance is not as commonplace in the Philippines as in the U.S.

Much is needed, and anything you can give is welcomed. We seek to help with temporary housing, salvage and cleanup, the purchase of new clothes, food, furnishings, and rebuilding. Our initial fundraising goal will help Lola Franz greatly in rebuilding a small house.