Support After Hurricane Helene

Let's start by recognizing my parents are going to be extremely unhappy with me for setting this up (if anyone asks, it was Hayden's idea). However, they are the people who will always help you and be there when you really need them. And they would NEVER ask for help.

Hurricane Helene was expected to be your average hurricane (nothing to fear for the seasoned Floridians). My parents were expecting the usual, three inches of water coming up to the porch, nothing beyond that. Unfortunately, the storm had other plans and left much of the country in despair. My parents and their neighbors in Dunedin saw the worst flooding in 40 years. My parents' house was in four feet of water; there were over two feet of water that made it into the house during the surge and the following high tide. My parents lost everything: every appliance, the car, every piece of furniture, all of the linens, rugs, and many mementos (if you know my mother, you know she's saved every antique, craft, and family heirloom, etc.). The house needs to be gutted to ensure the contaminated flood water is gone.

While insurance is going to help cover some expenses, they are not paying for much of what has been lost. What they do pay for will take months to get approved (the last storm it took 6 months), and much of the work will need to be done and paid for in advance.

My dad is down there now taking out what he can and beginning to figure out how they will tackle the rest.

While we all wish we could be down there to help, you would be safer sleeping in a cardboard box on the side of the road than in the house (you can ask my dad how many times he's been electrocuted or how many things with batteries have exploded while he's been there).

With that, I am asking you to consider giving a small amount if you can. Since we can't give them an hour of our time or a home-cooked meal, this can get things going, perhaps pay for beer or an Instacart sandwich for my dad... as even his bike tire pump no longer works.

On the brighter side, Hayden can't wait for his new roomies to entertain him from sunup to sundown this winter

Thank you to all who have donated and shared! Please keep these everyone in Florida in your thoughts and prayers as the next hurricane comes through♥️