Help Tom and Vivian Rebuild After Hurricane Ian

Our neighbors Tom and Vivian Bridges, each in their 80s, had their home completely destroyed during Hurricane Ian and are in desperate need of funds to rebuild. During the hurricane, they evacuated their house and went to the local baptist church, where they spent 2 days in waist-high water. Vivian, who is missing both of her legs, was forced to float around on garbage for those two days while they rode out the storm. Once the water subsided, they were able to make their way back to their home to find the interior completely flooded, their car gone, and their roof torn apart. The couple now reaches out to the community for financial assistance to help them rebuild, as just the cost of a new roof alone is over 15,000 dollars. Please consider donating or sharing.

live in Cherry Estates, in a neat gray double-wide with blue shutters. Vivian, who has no legs, gets around exclusively by wheelchair. They evacuated to their church, the First Baptist Church of St. James City, and spent two nights there to avoid staying in their double-wide.

"The wind and the water destroyed that building," Vivian said. The water was chest-height on Tom, who stands about 6 feet tall.

"She has no legs to get up at all, and I had her floating on trash. Doors that blew off, and panels that blew off."

Eventually, Tom found a baby mattress from a crib and placed that on top of the trash; Vivian was able to sleep on that. They have no phones, no power, no internet. Just a solar-powered radio. But still, the Bridges kept on smiling. How were they so positive?

"Because we live in Florida," Tom exclaimed, gesturing wide with his long arms.

"There's no place else we'd want to live," added Vivian. "We just didn't like this guy so much."