Hi everyone, my name is Kelli and Tiffany is my daughter.  On Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2020, Tiffany’s car (and all of its contents) was stolen out of the parking lot at her apartment complex.  Tiffany has spent the last couple of years making significant financial investments towards her education and her career aspirations by acquiring the pieces of equipment, computers, wet suits, etc. that are necessary to be able to do her work.  Because her class and lab work often require underwater study, she had plans the following morning to do a dive and thus, had all of her dive gear in the trunk of her car when it was stolen.  Many of our friends and family have asked us to create this fund so that they may help her replace what was taken because these things are critical to her education, internships and long-term career success in the field of coral conversation, ocean cleanup and marine science studies. 

As a full-time college student who also holds down a job, she spends more hours in her car going to and from school and work than she does at home, and because of this, she had many personal items in her car; ranging from her raincoat and winter jackets to her gym bag and workout gear; from her beach chairs and recreational items to even her can opener.  As most of you know, she is also an advocate for eliminating single-use plastics, and therefore makes it a conscious practice to take reusable drink containers with her at all times. . . and yes, you guessed it, every single one of those was stolen as well.  The only things not missing when the car was recovered were her hat and a coral fragment.  She said to me “I think the worst part (even more than the stolen car) is that they have no idea how valuable coral is to the entire planet.”

The car was recovered, however, it sustained significant damage and must be repaired and cleaned before it can be driven.  She was fortunate that the rental car costs (to date) have been covered by her insurance, and they gave her $200 for the contents, which, unfortunately does not even cover the cost of replacing the fins. By contributing to this campaign, you will directly assist Tiffany in replacing her dive gear, first and foremost, with anything gifted above and beyond that to help defray the costs of her insurance deductible and replacing the personal items that she needs immediately.

I cannot find words adequate enough to express the sincere gratitude we have for everyone who has supported her throughout this experience.  The outpouring of compassion and generosity has blessed us in ways that are indescribable, and it means so much to us that people feel so strongly about the importance of the work that she is doing for the oceans.  We truly appreciate any assistance you are able to give; each of you are deeply appreciated.