Help Courtney Rebuild After Hurricane Helene

Hello. My name is Shannon McGough, and I am writing on behalf of my sister, Courtney McGough, one of the many thousands of people that have taken a punch in the nose from Hurricane Helene.

When Helene flew by Anna Maria Island, a barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico, she dumped a year’s worth of water in a day. The storm surge didn’t just come ashore. It ran across and over the island, completely inundating it.

My sister’s home took on four and a half feet of water. Every piece of furniture and appliance ruined.

Due to the prohibitively high cost of insurance, she, like so many others, was without renter’s insurance. She is left with one pair of underwear, one small carry-on of clothing, and flip-flops. Everything else that makes up a life is gone. Within a day, the mold set in. The house will have to be stripped to the studs and completely rebuilt. This will take months.

In the meantime, she, and her dog will be dependent upon the kindness of strangers. Gratefully, angels still walk the earth. The bar she manages is closed indefintely. Patrons of her work place have offered her their place for five weeks while they are away. After that… 

My sister is in need; a need that no one imagines until it happens to them. If you can find it in your heart and budget to contribute any amount to help her rebuild a life, you will be doing your part to save one person’s catastrophic loss of everything, to help sustain her as she struggles to lift herself out of the water, out of the mess, out of the unimaginable wrath of Mother Nature. May you never experience what Courtney has lived through.

On behalf of my sister, Courtney and I thank you.