Help the Porters rebuild from Hurricane Ian

On September 28, our friends Danielle and Brett, and their kids, Lee, Sonny, Micah, and Grace, hunkered down to ride out Hurricane Ian in Port Orange, FL, thankful for a brand-new roof to protect their family. But while the roof held up to the storm, by the next morning the seemingly endless rainwaters from the hurricane produced widespread flooding in places that have never flooded before — including inside the Porters’ home.

From Danielle, "It is a helpless feeling watching water seeping into your house from everywhere.... We are alive though and our house is still standing.... Not sure how we will recover or if we will. Today has been hard as I watch my children's belongings float through our house feeling like their childhood is floating away. I am thankful though that through this they are safe.”

In recent years, Danielle, Brett, and their family have faced challenge after challenge, from family health emergencies to having to gut their kitchen and downstairs rooms just two years ago due to mold. Now they must gut and rebuild yet again — and we don’t want them to have to do this alone. All of their kitchen appliances, washer and dryer, and air conditioners, will need to be replaced, along with their beds, couches and chairs, tables and desks, kitchen cabinets, electrical wiring and outlets, and the children’s toys and belongings, not to mention the drywall, insulation, and doors. Only a week before Hurricane Ian hit they had finalized paying for their new roof. While their homeowner insurance is supposed to reimburse them for some of the roof costs, they have no idea when that money will come, and they need to start repair work on their home right away. Because their neighborhood is not in a flood zone, nor near any bodies of water, they do NOT have flood insurance to help offset any of the costs.

We’re so thankful that our friends are physically unharmed, but their road ahead is long and difficult. In the past, Danielle and her family have volunteered repeatedly with post-hurricane rebuilding efforts for others. It’s our turn to help them. Please consider supporting this wonderful family with any amount you can. Danielle and Brett, along with a team from our church, are undertaking demolition, and all funds raised will go directly to helping the Porter family get back on their feet.

Thank you!