I am creating this fundraiser for my family impacted by the earthquakes in Colombia. My parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins all live in Colombia, mainly in Cali and Pereira, Colombia. My aunt Libia, Uncle Huber, and my cousin Dany are left homeless after a devastating earthquake in Colombia completely destroyed their home. My aunt and uncle escaped in their pajamas outside while their home fell apart around them. The entire first floor of her building (the building is 4 floors) sunk into the ground, with the walls collapsing in and several other buildings completely destroyed. While running outside to escape the collapsing building, falling rubble knocked them to the ground. Forced to crawl to safety, they hid under whatever cover they could find to shield themselves from falling debris. My cousin, who is in his final semester of college, was in class when the surrounding walls and buildings crumbled around him. They all survived with minimal injuries but are traumatized from this experience.

My aunt ran a convenience store out of her living room and cooked for her community as her source of income to support her grandson (my cousin) and my uncle (her brother), who has Autism Spectrum Disorder. He helps support the store when Libia makes her deliveries and is busy. Everything in her home, including the store, was crushed and destroyed.

They are left with no clothes, no food, and none of the basic things needed for daily life. Everything they had was buried under the rubble, and the shock of losing their home so suddenly has made these days incredibly difficult. They lost everything in under 5 minutes on a Monday morning before they had woken up to start their day.

The support raised through this fundraiser will help my family get through these difficult times with essentials like food, clothing, and other basic necessities. It will also give them some extra help as they begin the long process of finding a new home and replacing all that was lost. Luckily, my parents' home was undamaged so they have been taking care of them. Any help matters, no matter the size, and every donation will bring comfort, relief, and hope to my family that has lost so much. If you are able to give or share this fundraiser, your support will mean a great deal.