My name is Yvonne Garbett and I'm a University of Florida student organizing this fundraiser to urgently provide relief and assistance to the family of fellow student Cielo Cox due to the devastating damage caused by Hurricane Helene. Thank you for taking the time to read her story.

Lake Lure is a community of about 1,300 people in North Carolina, about an hour away from Asheville. The town's central lake is surrounded by picturesque mountains and lush forests with thousands of trees. Below is a photo of what Lake Lure looked like 5 days ago.

The once quiet, peaceful Lake Lure now looks like this.

When Helene made landfall on Thursday, nobody could have expected the damage that would come as a result. To say that the town was completely destroyed in the storm is an understatement. Residents have been stranded without electricity, food, water, and shelter for days. The only way to get cell service is by driving to the top of the mountain, which isn't a possibility for most residents due to roads being covered by trees, flooded, or completely destroyed altogether. Emergency responders for the area say that the damage is unimaginable. The Washington Post recently published an article about Lake Lure in the aftermath of Helene. I strongly recommend reading the full article; however, the following excerpt from author Brady Dennis illustrates the dire situation that this small community finds itself in:

"On Monday, the routes into Lake Lure and Chimney Rock remained blocked from almost every direction. Bridges had washed out to the north and south. To the west, the river had swallowed parts of the road. The one way in from the east was dotted with detours and downed trees, snapped power poles and low-hanging electric lines, and the remnants of small mudslides, along with multiple police checkpoints."

Four weeks ago, Cielo Cox and her cat Frankie temporarily moved to Lake Lure with her grandmother until January. There was no predicting that a disaster of this magnitude would occur when she made the decision to move. Their situation has left them in dire need of support.

Cielo is a Political Science major graduating in 2025. She is my best friend, my coworker, and a truly special person who I can't sing the praises of enough. Cielo's life has been far from easy, and she is one of the most resilient and brave people I know. It breaks my heart that this unprecedented disaster has impacted her so severely.

If you took the time to read Cielo's story, thank you so much. She has contributed so much to the Gainesville and UF community through her kindness, humor, and generosity. I ask you to please support Cielo and the Cox family however is possible for you. 100% of the funds contributed to this fundraiser will go towards the Cox family as they recover, and your donation is important to secure essentials such as food and water.

If you aren't able to donate today, sharing a link to this fundraiser is the next best way that you can help. Please keep the Cox family in your thoughts and prayers as they attempt to recover from this difficult time.