Preston & Megan rebuild after Irma

As hurricane Irma has ripped through the Southern hemisphere of the United States causing untold amounts of devastation, I was hoping my family would be spared. Unfortunately, that was not the case. My sister and brother-in-law faced the brunt of it as a particularly hard gust of wind blew through Whitmire, SC causing a nearly 100-year-old tree to snap and fall into their home. 

Thankfully they heard a warning "SNAP" and both had a moment of warning to hunker down and protect their heads as the roof and contents of the attic came crashing down around them. They both escaped without any life threatening injuries, along with their two dogs and bird, Tilley.  Their home, on the other hand, did not fare so well. The tree spanned their entire home and has caused irreparable damage. After a neighbor witnessed the scene and called 9-1-1 the fire department arrived and forced them to evacuate. The house is now condemned and they are not allowed to return inside to collect any of their belongings. This is particularly devastating as they were in the middle of a full rehab of the home and have spent nearly $15,000 thus far on construction materials, plumbing, electrical, tile, refrigerator, dish washer, washer/dryer, shower, toilet, furniture, etc. Due to the complete gut of the original home, they were unable to attain home owners insurance until their projects were complete. This has left them with their savings lost in their now condemned home. Our family is providing them with a place to stay until they manage to get back on their feet and for that, we are all thankful. 

If you could find it in your heart to donate to them, we will appreciate more than we could ever put into words. It is going to a pair of young newlyweds who have lost everything due to the wrath of Irma. They are so deserving of the help as they would be the first to jump in and help others. We all hate to swallow our pride and have to ask for help, but at this point, this is their only option.  

Thank you for reading and if you are not able to donate, please reach out to those around you and just try to lend a helping hand. So many of our fellow Americans could use it right now.