Hurricane Ian Relief for Serrano-Quinones Family

Hi,

I’m Ashley Virella :)

Some of you may know me as the eldest grandkid/niece/cousin/daughter. And some of you may only know me from this bio. I’ll keep it short because this isn’t about me: I called Florida home up until I graduated college in 2015. Never in all my years there did I experience a catastrophic hurricane; they were mostly headline news stories in other parts of the state/south. At most, I got some school days off, lost power for a few days, and had a messy community littered with mild debris for a few weeks. But as climate change has worsened over the years, so has the threat of damage from hurricanes, and their accompanying tornadoes and floods.

Unfortunately, my aunt, uncle, and cousins have fallen victim to the most recent hurricane. They need our help, and I know they are not the kind to ask or easily accept it. Rocio, Johnny, Luis, and Jailin moved with my Grandmother, Martha Serrano, to Estero, FL in Lee County a little over a year ago. If you haven’t heard, this county was hit the hardest during Hurricane Ian, an almost Category 5 storm, on September 28th. As a result of the storm surge and high winds, most of their community has been destroyed. Although they were able to evacuate to my mom’s house in Hallandale Beach to ride out the storm, they have returned home to discover that they lost practically everything. They are still without running water, although they have had electricity restored. Thankfully, their home’s foundation is strong and it is still standing. But it is going to be a long road for them to recover.

Most of FL is going to be dealing with nightmare insurance claims for the duration of this year, if not longer. There are still people reeling from Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico a few years ago, Hurricane Harvey in Houston before that, and Hurricane Katrina many years prior. It’s uncertain how long it will take for them to receive adequate financial compensation for their losses. And ultimately, there are some cherished possessions that remain irreplaceable. It is also unclear how long my cousins are going to be out of school, and their parents out of work.

The community is still doing what it can to assess the damage done from the storm, and there’s still a whole other month left of the Hurricane season. This family has been through so much, and they are some of the most amazing people you will ever meet. I’m heartbroken to know that my cousins are experiencing a childhood I was lucky to avoid, and it’s hard for me to physically help when I’m way on the other side of the country. So, I’m doing this for them because I know that asking for help is not easy and they absolutely do not deserve what they are going through.

Currently, the family is safely residing with my mom and stepfather as they clean out their home and wait for FEMA aid. They will eventually return to their home and I’d like to be able to give them something that they can use to get by until they are comfortably back on their feet. Whatever we can raise will go toward anything they might immediately need: school supplies, groceries, toiletries, gasoline, appliances, clothes, furniture, toys for the kids, pet supplies, etc. I know this can never replace what has been lost, but they may be able to create new memories with your help. Please, donate what you can; every little bit helps! Even if you can’t donate, please share this and spread the word…and prayers, positive vibes, and kind thoughts are always appreciated as well. Thank you for your time!

-Ashley Virella, PsyD