**Help Steve & Lori Rebuild After Hurricane Flooding**

Hi, I’m Ashley Aldous Pangborn, and I’m reaching out to ask for support for my neighbors and chosen family, Steve Zywot and Lori Eckberg. They’ve been a huge part of our lives and our neighborhood, always willing to lend a hand, share knowledge, and celebrate life’s moments together. Since we moved here to Homosassa Florida, they’ve taught our kids to fish, baked banana bread for them, celebrated birthdays and achievements with us, and decorated for holidays together. We’ve even mourned the loss of pets by each other’s side.

Steve, a retired dock worker, and Lori, a retired school bus driver, worked hard their whole lives to save for their dream home here in Florida. But that dream turned into a nightmare when their home flooded during Hurricane Helene. Despite having homeowners insurance with a hurricane policy, they were unaware they needed flood insurance within the first three years to qualify for FEMA help. They missed that window by only a few months and are now without any support to rebuild and are still living in their flooded home.

Steve and Lori stayed during the storm, doing everything they could to protect their home, but the floodwaters took over, even bringing an eel swimming into their living room. Both of their cars were also flooded and are unusable. On top of it all, Lori has suffered multiple falls since the flood and now uses a walker, making it even harder to navigate a home filled with damaged belongings.

Over the years, Steve and Lori have been family to us. They’re always there to help maintain our neighborhood, from our community park to our private road. We share tools, our garden harvest, and knowledge—Steve has been a wealth of wisdom while helping me rebuild my own house, and I help them with technology, from phones to printers. Steve even paused his own repairs after last year’s flood to ensure our kids had safe, drywalled rooms to return to.

I want to give back to them as they’ve given so much to our family and our community.

The funds raised will be used to:

- Either rebuild their home (flood mitigation, insulation, drywall, electrical plumbing, cabinets etc) or helping them find safer, more accessible housing that meets their new needs.

Lori’s mobility is limited, and they deserve a secure environment that won’t put her at further risk.

- Help replace their vehicles that were flooded, so they can regain the mobility and independence they need.

- Paying increased utility bills and other essential expenses

-Food

-Replacing lost belongings, furniture, appliances and clothing

Every donation, no matter the amount, will help ease the overwhelming task of rebuilding their lives. Please consider donating and sharing this campaign so that we can help Steve and Lori find the safety and stability they deserve. Thank you for any support you can provide.

Sincerely,

Ashley