Hope and Help after Hurricane Dorian
Donation protected
At 7:00 am on Sept. 6 Jade Lopez Suazo, her husband Jose and their two young children woke to howling winds of hurricane Dorian. Looking out of their rented trailer home they saw waves of water gushing in from Ocracoke Island sound. "It just kept coming and coming. We were terrified." By afternoon the winds had died down but Ocracoke was several feet under water and everything Jade and Jose had worked so hard to build--their 2-year old taqueria, all personal belongings in their rented trailer home--was destroyed. Dorian left them with nothing.
Two years ago on a summer vacation to Ocracoke I met Jade and Jose. They had just opened "504 Taqueria Suazo's" on Creek Rd. close to our rental cottage. Jose was the cook and Jade did everything else. Word of a good taqueria spread among vacationers and island residents. Pretty soon they had attracted a sizeable and loyal clientele. The following year I noticed they had added a small sitting area next to the truck, had new signs and new menu offerings. The future was looking bright for the Suazos. Then Dorian blew it all away.
When Jack Healy of The New York Times interview Jade the day after the hurricane, she was in shock and despondent from seeing all their hard work washed away. She couldn't see how they could re-open the taqueria or how they could even stay in Ocracoke. Two weeks later and many hours of cleaning and taking stock of what could be salvaged, Jade and Jose have decided to start over. They knew it would be difficult but they were determined. They have been able to bring the truck up to working condition and salvage the gas grill. But their freezers and refrigerators were completely inoperable. They also lost $3,000 worth of supplies and food.
I am trying to raise $7,000 to help the Suazos get back on their feet. They need to replace 2 refrigerators and 2 freezers and re-stock supplies and food to get started. Can you help Jade and Jose re-open "Taqueria 504 Suazo's", reclaim the life hurricane Dorian had snatched away and provide a better future for their children?
Two years ago on a summer vacation to Ocracoke I met Jade and Jose. They had just opened "504 Taqueria Suazo's" on Creek Rd. close to our rental cottage. Jose was the cook and Jade did everything else. Word of a good taqueria spread among vacationers and island residents. Pretty soon they had attracted a sizeable and loyal clientele. The following year I noticed they had added a small sitting area next to the truck, had new signs and new menu offerings. The future was looking bright for the Suazos. Then Dorian blew it all away.
When Jack Healy of The New York Times interview Jade the day after the hurricane, she was in shock and despondent from seeing all their hard work washed away. She couldn't see how they could re-open the taqueria or how they could even stay in Ocracoke. Two weeks later and many hours of cleaning and taking stock of what could be salvaged, Jade and Jose have decided to start over. They knew it would be difficult but they were determined. They have been able to bring the truck up to working condition and salvage the gas grill. But their freezers and refrigerators were completely inoperable. They also lost $3,000 worth of supplies and food.
I am trying to raise $7,000 to help the Suazos get back on their feet. They need to replace 2 refrigerators and 2 freezers and re-stock supplies and food to get started. Can you help Jade and Jose re-open "Taqueria 504 Suazo's", reclaim the life hurricane Dorian had snatched away and provide a better future for their children?
Organizer
Zita Pietrus
Organizer
Raleigh, NC