Help The Man Who Helped Our Grandpa-Tornado Took Everything

Hi! We're Raquel and Leo.

For our service project, we want to help someone who has always helped others - a man named Thomas. He really needs support right now after something terrible happened.

Thomas is 64 years old. He's been a loyal friend and neighbor to our grandpa for about 15 years. Our grandpa worked as a dentist on Natural Bridge for almost 50 years, and Thomas lived nearby. He was always there when our grandpa needed him - not just as a neighbor, but someone our family could count on.

Thomas was a big part of Natural Bridge Dental. He wasn't an employee, but he helped out all the time - doing things like landscaping, tuckpointing, and fixing things around the office. He would walk patients and staff to their cars to make sure they were safe. If the alarm went off at night, he'd be the one who showed up. He helped with anything and everything our grandpa needed. He was just always there - someone we trusted, someone who really cared.

On May 16, a tornado hit North St. Louis and the neighborhood around Natural Bridge got hit really hard - including Thomas's house. The roof came off, the windows shattered, and his son's girlfriend - who was home at the time - got hurt when a window broke on her. The city put a red sticker on his house, which means it's not safe to live in. But Thomas doesn't have anywhere else to go, so he's still staying there while he tries to figure things out.

It's even sadder when you know that Thomas has already lost so much. His wife and most of his family have passed away. Right now, it's just him, his son, and his son's girlfriend. He doesn't have insurance. He has serious health problems like Crohn's disease. And even now, when he's the one who needs help, he's not asking. He's just trying to get by.

Other people in the neighborhood have had volunteers show up to help. But no one has helped Thomas. He's been forgotten - and we don't think that's right. Thomas will rebuild. That's just the kind of person he is. But right now, he has nothing left, and he really needs help. Clothes. Supplies. A safe place to stay. The basics. A little support could go a really long way.

This GoFundMe is just our first step. We also plan to volunteer and help in person. But for now, we hope you'll consider donating - to help someone who's quietly spent years looking out for others.

Thank you for reading.

Thank you for caring.

Thank you for helping.

love,

Raquel & Leo