Help the Rivera family recover from hurricane Ida

Hi everyone, thanks for clicking on this link. Below are pictures and the story behind what happened to the Rivera family. As a long time friend of the family, I am looking to raise enough for them to be able to recover any damage caused in property and find a stable home in the near future. Any bit of help is greatly appreciated and all funds raised will go directly to the family. Even if you are unable to donate, please do share as any contribution is a step forward in a time like this.

A message from the family:

It is with the heaviest heart and upmost humility that i write this. On September 1, 2021 around 11pm my family home was flooded due to hurricane IDA. Windows shattered from the pressure of the rain and filled the apartment with water faster than they could think. They were unable to get anything out before the apartment was completely submerged under water. Hurricane ida came and left my parents and brother with nothing, not even the memories from childhood photos. Their car was completely submerged under water.

The ceilings of their home have all disintegrated, the floors and walls are wet and moldy, and the entire contents of their apartment are ruined. The house will need to be completely gutted and they don’t have the renter’s insurance to cover it as their town isn’t deemed a flood zone.

This is the place we have called home for the past 10 years anyone who knows me knows this is where we hung out before our days at Ryan before school. The place where we skipped class in Francis Lewis to have some home cooked lunches from my mom. The place that we go to so we can all pregame before our college parties. And the place my parents have opened to all sleepovers always making sure everyone had somewhere safe to come home to.

My parents are both two hardworking individuals but what this event did to them will be hard to repair. COVID has left my dad unemployed for the past year as the Jacob javits convention center still hasn’t had all of its employees return. If anyone has ever had the pleasure of knowing my parents they can vouch that they are the most generous, kind, humble, fun loving, and family-orientated people you will ever know. They have always gone above and beyond to provide my brother and i with the best of the best. They were kids raising kids and they still gave us the best life possible. Always showing strength in the struggle. My brother is a college student who now only has the clothes on his back, and no access to continue online schooling without the proper tools to do so.

I am thankful that my family is here today, but this fundraiser to recover the financial burden this has caused can hopefully replace a fraction of what was lost and make it easier to reestablish their daily routines again. I am a masters student living in Florida working part time as a server to maintain my own bills and as much as i wish i could rebuild this all for them on my own i know that isn’t realistic. I ask this with the upmost humility that you donate and share this to reach as many people as possible. No donation is too small – all help is appreciated. A little goes a long way! Thank you for your willingness to go above and beyond to help my family in their time of need. I am praying for all the families affected by this tragedy. Together, we can support and heal our communities and be stronger together from it.