Hope & Laura's Emergency Recovery

A member of our family is in need of emergency help! Hawaii's recent volcanic eruption has destroyed dozens of homes, including my aunt Hope's. One of nine children raised by a single mother in Belleville, Illinois, Hope Northway moved out to Hawaii to pursue her dreams. In Hawaii, she started a small business and met her partner, Laura McDonnell on Maui in 1989. Today, they've been together 29 years. They moved from Maui to the big island in 1997 because the land was much more affordable there. They decided upon a plot in the Leilani Estates subdivision and in 2014 started construction on their dream home. Fast forward to 2018, Hope and Laura's dream home was complete and they were nearing the ends of their careers. Then, the eruption struck. The cover photo to this fundraiser was taken shortly before the lava inundated Hope and Laura's home.

They had hoped to retire there, and and they had invested substantial resources in that home. As it turns out, homeowner's insurance does NOT cover damage from lava flows; in fact, consumers can't even buy volcano insurance. As small business owners, Hope and Laura also operated part of their businesses out of the home as well. As a result, not only has this eruption destroyed their home, it may impact their livelihood.

Times like these are what friends, family, and community are for. If we all band together, we can make sure that even though this eruption has destroyed Hope and Laura's home, it doesn't need to destroy their lives, too. Every little bit helps!

Read more about this developing story here: https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/07/us/hawaii-kilauea-volcano/index.html