Emanuel, Rachel, and their young son Ethan recently faced a devastating ordeal when Hurricane Helene struck North Carolina, causing massive trees to fall through their home in several places. The rains came pouring in through the roof and walls of the home as they had to evacuate from their starter home to find a nearby neighbour. Trees were falling all around them and they couldn't escape the neighborhood except by foot. Half of their home was made unliveable, they lost half their furniture and had to replace the entire roof. The tree removal company charged over 10,000 USD to remove these trees - (during this time of crisis). While they are grateful for their safety, as they were at home when the storm struck, the family’s residence sustained significant damage - over 45,500 USD total. Unfortunately, their insurance coverage fell short by $15,500 and they had to take out a high-interest loan to cover these expenses which are due immediately. We think how unfair this all is, and what a shame there was no assistance or understanding from the bank during this time of crisis in the state.

Emanuel and Rachel have always been active members of our community, and our family, known for their kindness and willingness to help others in times of need. They are very hard workers and like many residents in North Carolina, they find themselves in a position where they require our collective support to rebuild their lives and provide a stable environment for their three year old son, Ethan. Their family, (that's us!), started this GoFundMe to help alleviate the dreadful stress and pain they have been under for 5 months as they seek to rebuild their lives. They are a young family, just starting out.

No donation is too small; every bit brings them closer to rebuilding their lives. Please consider sharing this campaign with your network to amplify our efforts.

1. We (Pauline Marquez and Lisa Martin) are seeking to support our family members who had to evacuate from their home for 3 months while it was rebuilt from the damage of the storm.

2. We are located in Illinois and in Western North Carolina near Wilkesboro, NC.

3. Pauline Marquez is the mother of Emanuel, and Lisa Martin is the aunt of Emanuel and subsequently Rachel.

4. We are reaching out to friends, family, and compassionate individuals to help bridge this financial gap. Your generous contributions will directly assist in repairing their home, paying off the Hurricane damage's debt, and replacing necessary furnishings, enabling them to regain a sense of normalcy.

Thank you for your kindness and support during this challenging time!

Pauline Marquez (Emanuel's mother) and Lisa Martin (Emanuel and Rachel's Aunt)

#CommunityStrong #RebuildWithLove

#SupportEmanuelandRachel