Cover photo: "SOS! Over here, we also exist. Please, come. "

https://apnews.com/article/mexico-rain-president-sheinbaum-hidalgo-puebla-veracruz-e1cfd6acf28e38bf442d7eb14ada64ee

Friends, last week, catastrophic rains drenched parts of Mexico resulting in deadly landslides and floods. One of the hardest hit states was my home state, Veracruz. Poza Rica, where my father, daughters, and extended family live, was one of the hardest hit towns. Areas of the town saw up to 12 feet of water rush over the banks of the nearby Cazones river. Poza Rica is an oil town, and among the challenges confronting residents, like streets submerged under 3 feet of water and mud, and an additional 6 feet of accumulated rubbish, furniture, and debris, is residue from the oil. Authorities say some 100,000 homes across the region have been damaged by the torrential rains and flooding.

I am raising funds to support my daughter, Sandra, and a team of volunteers, who will join in the exhausting and lengthy work of clean-up. Funds will cover things like, wheelbarrows, rubber boots, tools/supplies, hiring local people to assist in the clean up efforts, and food. See if you can spot my daughter in the group photo!

Any amount helps. Thank you.