Hurricane Florence Relief

I was one of the lucky ones. My family and I evacuated when Hurricane Florence began her approach. We escaped to Raleigh to stay with family. We never lost power or had any major inconveniences other than not being able to get home for a while due to road closures. When we did finally return home, our biggest "problem" was the smell coming out of our fridge and a downed tree that smashed a fence. Our neighbors who stayed behind had saved our community by continuously clearing the storm drains even in waste deep waters and torrential down pours. We are forever grateful to them. 

But many were not so lucky. Many evacuated and returned to find trees through their homes, water up to the  windows, to the ceilings. Some lost everything - their homes, their vehicles, their earthly possessions. Some lost more - their life. 

I've been struggling with how I can help in a substantial way. With 3 kids under 4, it's hard for me to get out there and do the "work" of helping families clear out their homes, try to salvage something, anything, and start over. I've purchased items for fundraisers but I think I can do more, I think we can all do more, together. 

I read this morning that in one county alone, there are 650 kids who are now homeless, thanks to Hurricane Florence. Many families did not have flood insurance because they were told they didn't need it - not that they could afford it even if they did need it. I've heard countless stories of FEMA giving checks of $200 or $300 to families who lost everything. How do you get back on your feet with $200? How do you replace belongings with $300? How do you give your children peace of mind and a sense of security? You don't...you just can't. But together, we can all help these families. 

I lay awake at night wondering how many of my family and friends could/would contribute $20, $50, $100 towards helping out some of these families in desperate need? I wonder... "what if?" What if everyone I knew donated and they all passed along this fundraising effort to everyone they knew? What if we were able to give 10 families $10,000 to go towards a new down payment on a home? What if we were able to raise $200,000 and give those 10 families another $10,000 to start replacing the essentials... clothes, food, beds?

So here's my "what if" fundraiser. 
What if it was your home that was suddenly gone?
What if it was your family living in a shelter, without a plan or idea on how to get out?
What if you had to rely on the kindness of strangers to get you back on your feet?
What if it was a bunch of strangers who saved you? Strangers who, little by little, came together to rescue your family.
What if all you had to do was skip going out to dinner this week in order to help? 

One of my clients said all but 2 homes in her neighborhood flooded. She was one of the 2 lucky homeowners who didn't have to throw out all of their belongings. But she and her fiance spent tireless hours helping their neighbors rip apart their homes. This is just one example of one neighborhood that could use our help.

Let's see what we can do. Click to donate. I will update you all as funds are distributed to families.