Rebuild Renee & Pepita's Home After Hurricane Ian

My name is Rebekah, and I live in Brookline, NH, with my two sons, Liev & Aleczander. We are reaching out to share the heartbreaking story of Renee & Pepita and ask for your help! Earlier this year, my family and I had a life-changing opportunity to travel to the Vinales Valley and spend time with the wonderful people who live there. Specifically, Renee & Pepita, on their coffee farm. While they didn't have much by material standards, their home was full of love, laughter and extraordinary food. We fell in love with this couple who "adopted" my sons affectionately and this beautiful place they live. They taught us about the hard work that goes into raising coffee and the daily struggles people in this country face.

On Sept 27th, Hurricane Ian ripped through the Vinales Valley as a Category 4 Hurricane and demolished both the homes and crops of the local farmers. In the aftermath of Ian, the couple has lost their home; the house has no roof, their belongings are destroyed, and the crop they've worked on all year is gone; their coffee was their only livelihood. These are citizens of a poor & oppressed country who will not be high on the list of aid if any is to be given. The country was already facing forced rationing, food shortages and gas scarcity. Now it will be worse.

My family and I are coordinating a trip to the valley to give extra hands and help them rebuild in any way we can. Any funds raised will go directly to Renee & Pepita to help them rebuild their home and replace the basics. It can be expensive to get supplies in this country, and they will need some funds to help sustain them until the harvest next year. Any leftovers will be distributed to other farmers in the Valley to help them recover. Our trip expenses and that of others joining will be self-funded. We ask you to learn more about Vinales, its people and the struggles this area faces daily but even more so now. Please consider donating! I will keep everyone apprised of the progress of Renee and Pepita as they try to recover.