Help Single Mom Of 2 - Hurricane Helene & Hurricane Milton

Update: 10/12 (Original post at bottom)

Hello! I am a single mama of two young boys & I'm sure as most of you know, we were recently hit by hurricane Helene, followed by Hurricane Milton. Helene caused major devastation to Anna Maria Island, where I work. I provide the main source of income & have always worked 6+ days a week in order to keep a roof over my kids head. I am also a barista/server, so I reply heavily on tips. Unfortunately, I have been without a job for a little over two weeks now. Our shop got flooded with water & we lost 90% of our appliances (details on this below). In the process of trying to gut our walls & remove mold at work, we were hit by Hurricane Milton. We are currently being told that power will not be restored on the island for roughly another week. Not only has this put a delay on when I will be able to get back to work, it has also been a huge financial set back - as any money I had previously raised went towards Octobers rent, a hotel room to evacuate, hurricane essentials, gas, food, etc. This has caused me to once again get behind on rent for next month, unable to pay any bills due, & struggle to buy basic necessities. Upon arriving back home yesterday (after a mandatory evacuation), we found out that we have some damage to our apartment. This includes cracks & crumbling of my bedroom ceiling, water spots & leaks over my bed, dirt, water & mold damage, the glass from our patio door falling out, unusable oven/stove due to electrical issues, & a huge hole above my attic exposing the sky outside. We live in a large complex with other buildings that have also sustained damage, so there is no telling when any of this will get fixed. To get more details on my story, please read below. A huge thank you to anyone & everyone who has helped out! We would not have been able to get by without you. Love, Mandy, Ben, & Zane

Original Post: 9/28

Hello! As most of you know, I am a single mama of two young boys. I'm sure some of you have been following my posts & know that we were recently hit by hurricane Helene. Although we are safe, as well as our home, my job location is not. Everything that we know & love (with the exception of our home) is on Anna Maria Island, including my establishment for work. The boys & I have lived here for 8 years now & are proud to call this our home. I have been working for my boss for 3 years & cant imagine having to go elsewhere. My boss is also 9 months pregnant & its just myself & one other coworker who run our small, little coffee shop on the north end of Anna Maria Island. In moments like these, we all need eachother. The problem is, our island is completely in shambles. We have 3 feet of sand on most roads, sink holes, lines down, no power, no water, & extreme damage across the island. While the damage at my job is yet to be determined, (as it is not yet safe to access), it will still be several days -- if not weeks until I will be able to get back to work. And even then, our sweet little island will takes many months to get back to normal. We heavily rely on tourists, vacationers, & even locals to support our business. Although I do plan on applying for hurricane relief, it may still take weeks to get approved. In the meantime, I am asking for any help I can get to try to pay my rent on time & put food on the table for my children, as well as any other necessities we may need. This is an extremely stressful time for everyone effected. We are beyond grateful to be safe & not have lost more than we already have. I am blessed to be able to call Bradenton & Anna Maria my home. Any type of donation, big or small, or even just positive prayers & vibes are immensely appreciated. We will get through this! ️