Florence victims Misty & Ed Vargas

New Bern, NC has suffered one of the most devastating storms in its 308-year history. Preliminary data showed more than 4,300 homes damaged or destroyed, and the numbers are expected to rise as evacuees come home and report their findings.

I am Rhonda Joy from Charlotte, North Carolina. My cousin, Misty Vargas, her husband Ed and their precious two children, are one of the many victims of Hurricane Florence in New Bern, NC. Imagine returning after evacuation to find your home destroyed by contaminated flood waters. The agony of knowing you've lost everything, coupled with having to strip out your house of furniture, clothing, sheetrock -- anything that could grow mold or hold life-threatening bacteria, while trying to find accommodations for your family, and keeping "life" going with school and work.  Misty and Ed struggled to even find a place to live because of so many displaced people. Fortunately, friends have taken them in until they can find somewhere more permanent while their house is being cleaned out and repaired. With over 4,300 damaged or destroyed homes, there are a lot of people trying to reconstruct their lives in a small area.

If you have anything at all to spare, this GoFundMe page is specifically to help the Vargas family recover from this tragic event.  The funds will go toward new clothes and supplies for the children -- all of their new back-to-school clothes were lost, and rebuilding their home and their lives. They are living approximately 40 miles from their workplace, so even the cost of gas expenses to and from work has increased substantially.

Misty and Ed will be able to make frequent withdrawals to help them deal with all the new, unexpected expenses that come with losing your home.

Thank you for your gift, and for your prayers for the family.