Robert and Elisa Gamez were robbed!

Robert and Elisa Gamez decided to move from their lifelong home in Orange County, CA, to Yuma, AZ. They have an 11-year-old daughter, Neveah, and knew that Southern California was not where they wanted to continue building their family and raising their daughter.

Their family had already seen several setbacks. Robert had gotten injured at work a few years ago and barely stayed afloat financially while enduring surgeries and rehab on his back, then both shoulders, and later injuries to his hip caused by his legs being uneven. He put the hip replacement and leg-lengthening surgery on hold, opting instead to try to find work where he could to save up to move from California. It was essential to them that Elisa remain able to stay home and homeschool their daughter to make sure she got a quality education, free from the societal influences many California school districts are introducing. All of this while fighting numerous legal battles to get his workman's comp and disability. They got used to sacrificing and slowly began moving things to storage in Yuma until they could make the move.

Moving day was Saturday, April 30. They packed all of their essential, day-to-day belongings into a U-Haul the day before, and woke up Saturday morning to find the truck gone. When the police located the truck several hours later (in a high-crime area of LA County), the locks on the cargo door and driver's door had been broken, the ignition ripped out to be hotwired, and the cargo area empty. The thieves took most of their clothing, all the essential furniture and appliances needed for basic living, as well as the brand new welder Robert had saved for and purchased to use for work once they arrived in AZ. Neveah's entire bedroom contents were stolen; her bed, toys, books, and everything she had just received for her 11th birthday. Robert also had a side gig as a DJ, and most of that equipment was taken and his collection of rare vinyl records, which he had been working on since he was a teenager. They lost their family pictures and memorabilia, things that are irreplaceable.

Unfortunately, it seems as though the insurance provided on the truck will cover little if any of the contents, and due to their years-long financial situation, renters insurance was not an option they could afford. These are many of the reasons they were moving from California; to get away from the crime and high cost of living, and rebuild their lives in a place that was closer to family and more suitable for their daughter. They made it to Yuma with the little bit of clothing they had packed into their family car, and moved in with family members. This is not a permanant solution, and they need to replace much of what was stolen, since it is essential for a family's daily life. This is a major financial setback, and without his planned income sources, one that will prove difficult to overcome. With Robert's current medical condition, finding work that will not further disable him will be hard, although he will be doing all he can.

Please find it in your hearts to help them recover from this devastating setback, and help this amazing family get back to building again. Any amount helps.