My name is Elizabeth Husserl. I live in the Bay Area in California, and I am organizing this fundraiser for my sister-in-law and her family, who live on the North Shore of Oʻahu.

When the recent floods hit the North Shore of Oʻahu, my sister-in-law and her family lost not only part of their home, but a vital part of how they built their life, their creativity, and their sense of agency. It was heartbreaking to see the photos and videos of water rushing into their home. And it was even more painful to know they lost one of the spaces that most reflected who they are and how they have cared for their family: their pottery studio.

I created this fundraiser because this hits close to home for me in two ways. I come from New Orleans, and I saw my own community devastated by Hurricane Katrina. I know how disorienting and painful it is when a natural disaster upends daily life in an instant. I also believe deeply in the power of community to channel resources toward the people we love when they need it most. Sometimes that is how healing begins.

Both my sister-in-law and brother-in-law are local teachers. Their pottery studio was never just extra space or a side business. It helped support their family financially, while also giving them a place to express who they are and build something meaningful together.

In her words:

“It has allowed our passion and creativity to provide for our family. It has given us the money for the kids tuition, travel, and so many incredible life experiences. To be honest it provides us with the gift of enough. It allows us to feel secure with a little room to dream.”

That studio gave them more than income. It gave them possibility, stability, and a sense of authorship over their own lives.

We are fundraising to help them begin rebuilding the studio with some of the major items they lost:

We do not expect to raise the full amount. Truly, anything helps. Every gift, no matter the size, will help them take one step closer to rebuilding this important part of their life.

There are so many families affected by these floods, and my hope is that support pours in for all of them. This fundraiser is simply my intentional act of support for one family I love dearly. They have already received so much kindness through calls, hugs, and friends showing up to help them clean up the mud. This is one more way to help.

And honestly, it feels like if they can rebuild the pottery studio, so much else will begin to come back into place too.

It was not easy for them to say yes to this support. Thank you for reading, for sharing, and for contributing in any way you can.

Every gift will help them shape something whole again.