Support Doreen and Sam's Recovery from Hurricane Milton

Let me begin with a heartfelt thank you for giving this cause a chance. On October 9th, 2024, the state of Florida suffered the devastating Hurricane Milton and the destruction that came along with it. While my household was not impacted directly, my in-laws, Doreen and Sam Montgomery, have literally lost everything.

The night of October 9th, 2024, they were riding out the storm like they have in years past with just the usual wind and rain. Sam and Doreen had power loss like so many others in the state and awoke to their little dog barking for their attention. Little did they know that the house was taking on water and the dog bed was actually floating in the room, frightening their little puppy and themselves. When the realization came of what was happening, they called 911 and were unable to get out due to rising water. The county was unable to access the area, so they had to tread in what now was waist-deep water to get to safety. The day following the storm, the street that they called home was under nearly 6 feet of water, and they were warned that it could rise higher as runoff began to fill the cul-de-sac. At the water's highest, their front yard was at 6 feet deep and flooded into the vehicles they had to leave behind.

Nearly a month later, on November 4th, 2024, after the water receded to safe levels, the damage could be assessed and the sheer devastation could be realized. The inside of the home that they have built and lived in for so many years sustained nearly 16 inches of water rise. Due to the home being unreachable for nearly a month, it is now completely covered in black mold. The home where we celebrate all of our family events—birthdays, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.—has been deemed unlivable. They have lost about 95% of all their earthly possessions, including clothing, tools, cars, and irreplaceable memorabilia.

We are trying to get this fundraiser going for them to ensure that they can start to rebuild. They are the most kind and generous people that you could ever wish to have in your life, and they have literally had their lives uprooted and have to begin from scratch. Any donation, no matter how big or small, would be greatly appreciated. Thank you from the bottom of all our hearts, and God bless.