Around 1:30am on August 19th, my sister and brother-in-law, Melissa & Stevie Ficara’s, house was affected in the flash flood. The entire downstairs basement, which is half my dad’s apartment and my 18-year-old niece Sammy shares the other half, completely gone and under water. Water came in from the front of the house and from the side filling completely to the ceiling. Since this area isn’t usually a flood zone, they do not have flood insurance. All of my dad and niece’s belongings are gone; clothes, furniture, jewelry, everything. My father, being a World Trade Center first responder and a retired NYPD officer at the 71st and 72nd precinct, with WTC related illnesses, lost all of his  medications, c-pap machine, oxygen tank, you name it, gone. Even the cars in the driveway were all submerged in water and deemed totaled.

If anyone knows my family, none of them ask for help, but are the first ones to help others. I’m asking for help for them. Anything you can do to ease the burden and financial pain will really go a long way.