Help the Baers support their new family!

Dear friends and neighbors,

When the unthinkable happens, it's important for us to know that we are loved, and to be able to depend on the love and support of those who care about us. As some of you may know, the Baers welcomed two new members into their family last month. Michelle and Cameron have recently lost both of their parents, and have found a new home with the Baers family.

Michelle and Cameron have undergone many tragedies recently. Their father passed away suddenly, leaving their mother, Yelena, to care for them on her own. This difficult position made her cancer diagnosis so much more devastating. Yelena struggled with cancer for a long time, but ultimately, in the final stages of the disease, she came to the Baers, who were her friends, and whose kids had grown up alongside Michelle and Cameron, and asked them to take care of her children.

Both families have suffered enormous losses. Losing a parent, losing a friend, losing a support system — all are heartbreaking. Welcoming Michelle and Cameron into their family has been, for the Baers, an act of hope and love, but it has been a life-changing decision for everyone involved.

We all know that raising a child is a huge investment — of patience, and time and love, but also of money. Adding two new kids to a family requires not just an additional output of love and patience, but of financial resources as well, and can strain a family budget, especially when resources are already tight.

Times of tragedy are not just times of pain, but also opportunities for support. They are chances for communities to gather together and show the people we care about that they matter, and that their well-being is important to us.

As we enter the season of giving, please consider helping us support Michelle and Cameron, and the Baers family, in this difficult time. All donations are appreciated, and every little bit helps.

Thank you for your time and your kindness.