Help Danielle and Vernon Rebuild After Tornado

Hi everyone, my name is Danielle—and honestly, I really hesitated to do this… but I need help.

On Friday, May 16, 2025, my home in St. Louis, MO was hit by a severe tornado. The entire roof was torn off, debris was everywhere, and both my car and my family’s vehicles were damaged.

We were incredibly blessed to make it out safely. The community came together and helped us clean up, and we started to feel hopeful again. We even got the roof tarped, despite having no power and barely any phone service.

But then last night, another severe thunderstorm came through after a tornado warning—and everything changed again. The rain poured through the already-damaged roof, the ceiling caved in, and water leaked throughout the building. Every unit was affected.

Our home was actually featured on the news, and I believe that visibility has helped bring attention to the situation in the building. But being honest and vulnerable here—as someone who was just starting to climb out of a deep financial hole—this has been completely devastating.

On top of losing our home, the storm destroyed a lot of the equipment my partner and I rely on for our livelihood. We do media work—photography, video, and content creation—which means we depend on expensive gear like cameras, lenses, lighting, hard drives, and laptops to make a living. The water damage wiped out several of these tools, and replacing them won’t be easy or cheap. Without them, it’s incredibly difficult to work and generate income, especially during a time when we need it most.

Right now, I’m just trying to figure out how to start over. I’m temporarily displaced, and it’s a lot to process.

If you’ve taken the time to read all this—thank you. If you feel moved to help, no matter the amount, we would truly appreciate it. The money will go toward transportation, meals, emergency expenses, a down payment for a new apartment, and replacing essential equipment so we can get back to work.

From the bottom of my heart—thank you for your support, your prayers, and even just sharing this page. It means the world to me.

With love,

Danielle and Vernon