Sanibel Island -Jenna and Tim Higginbotham

Thank you so much for so many of you asking us how you could help. It is overwhelming trying to figure out where to even begin but we have been able to think a little clearer today and are now trying to set up a plan. Our priorities are 1) finding long term (nearby) housing that is affordable on top of having to pay a mortgage on a home that is uninhabitable, 2) purchasing basic needs (i.e. clothes, shoes, work materials) and 3) Tim and I lost both cars so that is our other priority to be able to work eventually and 4) replacing all of Tim’s work tools that were in her work car that is totaled.

We were fortunate to have been able to get details about our home and get some answers of what there is to go back to. My dad does disaster damage assessment for a living and he has told us everything is an entire loss. Our home has an 8 foot hole through the center of the roof, an entire back section is blown out and exposed, the garage looks like a bomb went off with still a foot of water through the entire property, our boat was lifted into our pool and all cars we left on island are totaled, as well as 2 ASI work vehicles loaded with tools. While the house is still standing, it is a matter of days before mold overtakes everything.

Beyond our home, this entire island has lost nearly everything as well. We are trying to wrap our minds around this. While we’ve lost a lot of materialistic things, we’ve also lost the future plans and dreams we had building our family’s life on Sanibel Island as we knew it. We’ve lost getting to see our neighbors, friends and church family. In addition, watching Jianna’s business, the Sanibel Sprout, grow into the locals’ gathering place it was becoming. Silly things like Gumbo Limbo Halloween, racing to catch a sunset on beach access 7, Luminary night, biking down periwinkle to grab a juice from the Sprout. All these things were such gifts in life that will take a long time to ever get to experience again. This island is our home, we’re not giving up on it. But it’s hard to see through the muck, destruction, and heartbreak.

The greatest need we have besides prayer is financial at this point. We feel blessed to have such a support system and people who care and love us so well. Thank you for checking on us and praying.

Please continue to pray for our family. Specific prayers:

-that we will secure long term housing for 1 yr.

-for God to provide a car for tim & I to be able to work

-For all of us to be able to start working again in near future

-for peace and endurance in faith as the emotional recovery has been feeling like a rollercoaster.

Love from the higginbotham fam ❤️