Helping our friends move forward
Donation protected
Dear Friends, a lot of you already know us, but for those who do not, we are the Empleo family of Katy, Texas.
We set this Go Fund Me campaign up to not only raise funds to help our Filipino Friends; residents of the Canyon Gate Community affected by Hurricane Harvey, but more importantly, bring their plight to the attention of proper authorities. So please share this, even if you can’t contribute monetarily.
What we know:
The Canyon Gate subdivision is located well within the bowl of the Barker reservoir. Even though this is the case, residents were not made aware of this fact, and were not required to get flood insurance coverage. Thus, majority of residents do not have flood insurance.
No mandatory evacuation was issued, even with the threat posed by the release of water from Barker Reservior. At the height of the flooding (chest deep in some areas) August 28, 2017, residents had to be rescued by boat, thereby, left with only the clothes on their backs.
Their subdivision is still flooded and have been for more than a week now. This means their homes, belongings, and vehicles were submerged in potentially toxic flood water for quite a while and will most likely have extensive damage.
The amount of grant from FEMA will not be able to cover the costs needed to rebuild their homes and lives. According to a FEMA representative, the average amount given per household is around $7,000, based on experience from Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy, but not guaranteed. This will not be enough to cover cleanup, repairs, immediate housing costs, transportation etc. This is why, any amount raised by this campaign will greatly help cover cost of the clean-up (mask, gloves, tools, biocide, blowers, etc.), repairs (drywall, insulation, flooring, labor, etc.) and eventually, rebuilding.
Moving to a different country and being away from your loved ones is very difficult but thanks to these families, the De Guzman, Fernandez, Huliganga, Magsino and Nacino, we found a group to belong to here in the US. Their homes, that are now underwater, are the homes we spent numerous memorable occasions in, it is where our kids grew up, had sleepovers and hanged-out together. This is why, during this ordeal, we went through the same emotions they went through: fear, despair, anger, frustration, and heartbreak. While the Katy/Houston area moves on, please help them make the next step forward, even if it’s not yet into their homes, a step towards HOPE, which they desperately need right now.
All donations received will be equally divided to the 5 beneficiary families mentioned above. So as not to burden them furthermore with details, we will be in-charge of the withdrawal and then electronic transfer of this campaign’s proceeds to beneficiaries' respective bank accounts.
Thank you very much again for all your help and God bless you always!
The Empleo Family
Mike, Susan, Michelle and Matt
You can read more about the plight of the Canyon Gate residents thru this news link:
https://www.dallasnews.com/news/harvey/2017/09/02/flood-waters-recede-houston-homeowners-find-nature-blame
We set this Go Fund Me campaign up to not only raise funds to help our Filipino Friends; residents of the Canyon Gate Community affected by Hurricane Harvey, but more importantly, bring their plight to the attention of proper authorities. So please share this, even if you can’t contribute monetarily.
What we know:
The Canyon Gate subdivision is located well within the bowl of the Barker reservoir. Even though this is the case, residents were not made aware of this fact, and were not required to get flood insurance coverage. Thus, majority of residents do not have flood insurance.
No mandatory evacuation was issued, even with the threat posed by the release of water from Barker Reservior. At the height of the flooding (chest deep in some areas) August 28, 2017, residents had to be rescued by boat, thereby, left with only the clothes on their backs.
Their subdivision is still flooded and have been for more than a week now. This means their homes, belongings, and vehicles were submerged in potentially toxic flood water for quite a while and will most likely have extensive damage.
The amount of grant from FEMA will not be able to cover the costs needed to rebuild their homes and lives. According to a FEMA representative, the average amount given per household is around $7,000, based on experience from Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy, but not guaranteed. This will not be enough to cover cleanup, repairs, immediate housing costs, transportation etc. This is why, any amount raised by this campaign will greatly help cover cost of the clean-up (mask, gloves, tools, biocide, blowers, etc.), repairs (drywall, insulation, flooring, labor, etc.) and eventually, rebuilding.
Moving to a different country and being away from your loved ones is very difficult but thanks to these families, the De Guzman, Fernandez, Huliganga, Magsino and Nacino, we found a group to belong to here in the US. Their homes, that are now underwater, are the homes we spent numerous memorable occasions in, it is where our kids grew up, had sleepovers and hanged-out together. This is why, during this ordeal, we went through the same emotions they went through: fear, despair, anger, frustration, and heartbreak. While the Katy/Houston area moves on, please help them make the next step forward, even if it’s not yet into their homes, a step towards HOPE, which they desperately need right now.
All donations received will be equally divided to the 5 beneficiary families mentioned above. So as not to burden them furthermore with details, we will be in-charge of the withdrawal and then electronic transfer of this campaign’s proceeds to beneficiaries' respective bank accounts.
Thank you very much again for all your help and God bless you always!
The Empleo Family
Mike, Susan, Michelle and Matt
You can read more about the plight of the Canyon Gate residents thru this news link:
https://www.dallasnews.com/news/harvey/2017/09/02/flood-waters-recede-houston-homeowners-find-nature-blame
Organizer
Michael Susan Empleo
Organizer
Katy, TX
