Help Karolina Replace Her Stolen Car

Hi everyone! I never thought I would need to create a fund for this purpose, but amid all the fires in LA, my sister, Karolina, had her own emergency last week. On January 17 around 3 am, her car was stolen from our apartment complex parking lot.

She woke up in the morning ready to take her kids to school on Friday only to find her car was missing. I (Marissa Branson) created this fund to help my sister (Karolina Beveridge) with her stolen car. The collected funds will be used toward purchasing a new vehicle and paying for a rental car while she shops for a new car.

Not only was this a scary and shocking situation, but it was also a huge financial blow to Karolina. She had just bought this car in late 2024.

Over the past three years, I've witnessed Karolina rebuild her life after a painful and complicated separation and divorce. I was there the night she called me crying and asked me to help her leave with the kids. Since then, she has been a single mom, raising her two kids (Edie, age 9 and Clemency, age 6) mostly on her own while working full-time and providing for all their physical and emotional needs. She worked hard to become financially independent, to find a new place to live, and to buy this car--a 2007 Toyota RAV 4. To have it stolen in the middle of the night has been shocking and destabilizing. It shattered our sense of safety in our neighborhood and home.

Karolina relied on her car to bring her kids to and from school every day and of course, just getting around to do errands. LA is such a car-centric city, and the cost of ride-share is unrealistic while public transportation is unreliable. Because of the high insurance costs in California, Karolina did not have comprehensive coverage for the car, so at this point, she will not be getting anything from insurance for the car.

Although we have security camera footage and she submitted a police report, there has been no progress in the case so far, and in many cases like this, the cars are stripped for parts and often dumped somewhere later. Even if the car is found, we are not very optimistic that it will be in useable condition. Karolina paid $5000 for the car and she is looking for something in a similar price range while also paying for a rental in the meantime.

We know there is so much need in Los Angeles right now after the fires destroyed so many homes and lives. We are humbly asking if you can help in any way or any amount-- we are so appreciative. (Also if you have any leads on a reliable car within her price range, that would be helpful as well!)

Thank you, friends and family! We love you.