Help Kathleen Pomakis recover from Hurricane Ian

On Sept 28, my sister Kathleen called from Naples, FL to tell me that she was in the path of Hurricane Ian. A terrifying day followed, culminating in her rescue from floodwaters during the storm. She lost her home, belongings and car that day.

Since Ian, Kathleen has filed claims with insurance and FEMA. She goes to her home daily to dispose of her furnishings and salvage what she can. She had hoped that her needs would be modest. However, as the dust has settled, bad news seems to keep coming.

The homeowner's policy her landlord had on the house was suspended pending a roof repair slated for November 2022. Therefore he is ineligible for funds to rebuild, and she cannot expect to return to her beloved home. Her car, though insured, lacked the highest level of flood insurance, so she will not receive funds to replace it. Meanwhile, she recently discovered that decades of work in hospitality caused extensive damage to the tendons in her feet, which urgently requires repair. Days of hauling wet furniture out of her home exacerbated these problems, so she is in walking casts on both feet and will be for some time to come.

My long-time friends know Kathleen. She is the fun-loving, generous woman who hosted everyone I knew for weekends on the Cape when we were in college. She is also one of the hardest workers I have ever known and has always weathered life's storms independently. Further, she has always done her best to share anything she can spare with her friends and family. Kathleen is a person who remembers everyone's birthday, gives gift baskets of homemade baked treats to entire communities, and donates time, money and talents to friends in need. Today she is grateful for her friends who have checked on her and given her a place a stay. She is taking each day as it comes and chipping away at the tasks in front of her. I am confident she will get through this in time. However, financial support would go a long way to helping to ease her climb. Please consider contributing to getting her back on her feet.

This fund will go toward:

A used car to replace the one lost to flooding

Living expenses while she recovers from surgery

Furniture and clothing

Replacement of kitchen items to facilitate her small baking business

Medical bills and equipment

Replacement of her laptop which was lost in the flood