On July 14th, a powerful rainstorm flooded and devastated North Plainfield, NJ. Among the dozens and dozens affected were my parents, Leonardo and Myriam Betancourt. This flood was so intense that it destroyed the foundation of their home, ruined everything in the basement, as well as everything within the first foot of the first floor. The damage caused by this storm is worse than the damage caused by Hurricane Ida in 2021. This time, they've lost just about everything in the home (including the home) - beds, furniture, clothes, and, sadly, precious artwork Leo has produced over the course of 40+ years. They are starting from almost zero. They are fortunate to have a temporary shelter, but the home is uninhabitable for the foreseeable future. Yet they will have to continue making mortgage payments (now or in a few months with forbearance), on top of rent when they find their own place to stay in the meantime.

Expenses have been piling up each day. Despite having flood insurance, they are not likely to receive enough to cover what they need to pay for expenses. And it will likely be months for anything to arrive. While they wait, they will have to rely on the little money they have. The only income they have is from Myriam's part-time job; Leo is retired. They are facing tapping into a significant portion of their retirement money to cover their expenses, which has already been tapped to deal with the hurricane from 4 years ago. What should be a happy time for them, a well-deserved comfortable retirement after working 40+ years in pursuit of the American dream, has instead become a sad and difficult chapter for them. As their son, they have made me proud for the resilience they've shown as they go through this terrible situation, relying on each other for the strength to keep going. They are trying the best they can to go through it. But for all that mental fortitude, financial help would really make a difference to help them get through these next couple months and bounce back on their feet. They would be so grateful for any contribution. Thank you.