Help Karen Willis recover from Hurricane Idalia

Help Karen Willis recover from Hurricane Idalia

Hi, my name is Jules Bothwell, and I'm fundraising for my dear friend Karen Willis.

On Wednesday August 30th 2023, Karen, her son Ryan, her mom Mary, along with their pets, were evacuated by fire and rescue due to extreme flooding caused by the surges of Hurricane Idalia.

I've known Karen for over twenty years. We met while working at DOC'S. If you don't know, it's a special place, where your coworkers become your family. When I walk in with Karen, it's like the tv show Cheers. The regulars and employees yell, "KAREN...NO WAY! " It's incredible to witness. After such a long absence, it's a testament to the person Karen is, and why we all love her.

As a single mother, Karen relocated to St. Petersburg, Florida in 2006 to be closer to family and to provide a better life for her son, Ryan. The first time she experienced a hurricane, she packed up the whole family and came back to Atlanta. But as any Floridians know, you stay and you protect your home. Which is exactly what Karen did many times. And August 29th, Karen did just that. She stayed home.

But this time was different. The flooding wasn't on the national news, it wasn't a big national disaster, however, Karen and her family experienced something unexpected. They made it though the eye of the hurricane, only to have her house flood in the early morning hours.

They went to a neighbors house with the clothes on their backs.

Fire and rescue took them out hours later.

When they finally made it to a friend's house, Karen said to me (in shock, I'm sure) "Jules, we have no shoes, we left with shoes, but we can't find them... we have no shoes..."

Karen's friend, who lives on higher ground took them in, and they were told to shelter in place. Hours later, she made her way home to assess the damage. While she didn't experience a complete loss, it was devastating none the less.

You see, Karen had just taken out a loan to have her kitchen remodeled. Now it is all lost. Her floors need taken up, any wood that has been exposed to water needs replaced.. new area rugs that were purchased for the new living room reek of filth and sewage. There is no saving anything. All the wall to wall carpet in the bedrooms needs to be pulled up. To make matters worse, the adjuster told her that she needs to have at least 3 ft of the walls replaced.

But Karen is resilient. She has spent sooo many hours trying to clean up the damage. It has broken her heart to see the items unable to be saved put on the curb, not just by herself, but by her neighbors as well. It is a drive home that no one wants to see. Memories put on the curb.

FEMA has failed Karen, they have denied her any aid. She must now face the daunting task of rebuilding at her own expense. Please help me in raising money for Karen and her family to make their house a home again. Let's give her back the love that she has given us all these years.