My name is David Smith, my wife, Theresa, and I are from Ft. Myers Beach, and we are friends of this wonderful family.

This family left their homeland in October ‘21, spent 2 months at Ft. Dix and arrived in Florida on December 16, 2021. Father, Mother, and 4 sons, aged 17,14,10 and 6. They have made friends quickly, The strength, love, and determination of this family to become, in their words, “good citizens”, touches everyone they meet.

 

While this family comes from a land of war and terror, their stories are both heartbreaking and heartwarming – they are truly peaceful and respectful – and the big story that we have to learn from them is the love they show to each other.

 

All 4 sons are now attending school and doing well, the father told their story on the radio and has been interviewed for the paper, and cooking abilities of the mother are spreading rapidly. They have secured rental housing and will be moving from their temporary housing the 1st of March.

 

Our goal is to assist them in obtaining permanent affordable housing. A home they own with a payment they can afford. The difference in the price of a home and the price they can afford is our goal, and we expect that to be $100,000.

 

The father will need to find a good job, establish credit, and learn to develop and maintain a household budget. The friends of this family are working on this daily and we will post continual updates.

 

We thank you for your consideration.

Ft. Myers Beach Woman's Club meeting - We enjoyed a good conversation about his life experiences and feasted on some wonderful treats from his wife.

Me and my friend.