Three years ago, I began investing in equipment and materials for our food trailer, hoping to scale our family business, Tropical Goodness. We sell smoothies, juices, teas, and Caribbean cuisine, and I wanted to make our trailer and truck beautiful and ready to serve the community. I trusted a professional painter I met through hustling locally, believing he would help us with the work. When I struggled to find people who could work on trailers, I even paid for my brother-in-law to come up from South Florida to help with the interior and electrical. It felt like everything was coming together.

But after handing over the keys and materials, I discovered years later that someone had broken into the trailer, damaged it, and stolen all the equipment—even parting out my truck. The loss was devastating. We had used our savings and credit cards to make these purchases, and the setback made it difficult to recover and continue operating. We hired an attorney, but the process could take years, and I worry about losing the business we love. Sharing this story is hard, but I’m determined not to let pride stand in the way of asking for help.

The funds raised will first help us pay off debt, much of which was incurred through credit cards. Next, we’ll use the support to repair the trailer and get it running so we can return to serving our community. Having working capital will help us move beyond living paycheck to paycheck, and scaling the business will allow us to make a living doing what we love. We also hope to bring awareness to other businesses, so that we can help prevent similar setbacks for others. If you’re reading this and considering giving, thank you. If you can’t give but can share our story, that would mean the world to us. Your support helps my family get back on our feet, and as believers in Jesus Christ, we trust that all things work together for good. Some days are tough, but I know it’s all working out.