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Support for Almustafa Family

After months of reading about the human tragedy happening in Syria I felt compelled to do something to help, but what? A friend of mine "adopted" a family here in San Diego through an organization called Hearts4refugees. After reading about her experience I knew this is something I wanted to do too. They are a lovely family of 7 who fled Aleppo 3 years ago and were living in Turkey before they were approved to come to the United States. They arrived here at the end of January. 

Since then our families have spend a lot of time together and have formed a lasting friendship. Our children have enjoyed playing together and we have shared many meals together.  We feel so lucky to have them in our lives. 

Their story was supposed to have a happy ending but all of that changed on Sunday, April 9th when their son Mohamed went to the beach to spend time with friends. It was a beautiful, warm day so Mohamed and his friends decided to go in the ocean. His friends started struggling when they got caught in a riptide.  His friends were saved by the lifeguards but Mohamed disappeared in the water. The lifeguards and Coast Guard searched for him Sunday evening and most of the day Monday but were unable to find him. It is assumed he has drowned. I went to be with the family yesterday and the pain in their apartment was palpable. 

This beautiful family survived the war in Syria, 3 hard years in Turkey and were so excited about their new life in San Diego and after 4 months here this unbelievable tragedy has happened. 
 
They will need a lot of support, emotional and financial, as they grieve the death of their son.  Husam is not able to work at this time because he is still learning how to speak Engligh.  They will need help until they can get on their feet again. If you can make a donation to my GoFundMe page, I would be incredibly grateful.  Literally ANYTHING you can contribute will be a help to this family.  

Additional information:

1. Who Am I? My name is Denise Preston. I am a local resident of south Carlsbad/Encinitas and am volunteering with Hearts4Refugees, a great organization that provides support to families after their support from agencies like the IRC has ended (3 months after their arrival). Without the help of non-profits like Heart4Refugees, these families would be left on their own to find their way, often without jobs, a network, and many of the basic necessities they need to thrive.  http://www.hearts4refugees.org/

2. Where am I from? The beautiful city of Carlsbad, CA.

3. How do I know the Almustafa Family? They are my "adopted" family.  When Heart4Refugees offered the chance to "adopt" a family I was very happy to volunteer. It is my hope that our relationship will continue, and I will be able to offer not only financial help but also the comfort of a supportive friendship as they navigate life in America.

4. How will the funds will be used? The funds will be used to help cover expenses such as rent, utilities and other daily expenses.  The money will also be used to help with any burial expenses for Mohamed.

5. Will funds be given directly to the family?  Yes 

6. How will I be communicating with the family and how often? We will be visiting with our family several times a month and communicate with them through texts, emails and phone calls.

Organizer

Denise Dersa Preston
Organizer
Carlsbad, CA

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