These Angels Helped Save my House:
In order to tell my hurricane story, and to properly thank the United Aid Foundation, I need to fill the reader in on the backstory.
I have been a teacher for 28 years. With that profession comes much joy and gratification, but very little financial gain. About a year before Ian, I knew I needed to leave my twenty year marriage. Nothing was as I would have liked it to be; the kids were still in high school, I didn’t have as much money saved as I would like, but it was time.
So, on March 10th, 2022, I became a first time homeowner at the age of 49. I loved my little
bungalow by the river with all my heart. Every weekend was spent making it mine, putting my
stamp on it. And I made it a home. It was a peaceful place for my boys and I as well as our
massive menagerie of animals. It was too small but dammit it was mine.
Having lived in Florida for 36 years, I knew enough to evacuate before Ian, but was not in any way prepared for the worst possible projections to be exactly what happened to my house, street, neighborhood, city, county and state. Ian was a beast that did not discriminate, rich or poor, tiny bungalow by the river or mansion on Captiva, everyone bore the brunt.
I am not able to give a detailed description of the devastation because honestly, it's just too
painful. It’s too soon. What I can tell you is that I had people to help, thank God, but none of
them had the skills or the tools to remove the drywall, something that needed to be done as
soon as possible.
In swoops United Aid Foundation, literally. I couldn’t shut my door at the time because it had been so warped, so Cenovio’s friendly face pops through the doorframe and delivers the
unbelievable news that United Aid Foundation would perform my tear out FOR FREE. What?
I had seen free water and free food, but free labor that is worth thousands of dollars.
I was incredulous and so incredibly grateful. Financially, I was managing really well on my own, but there was not much to save at the end of each month, so grateful just doesn't describe the feeling. These angels were going to help me save my house.
And that they did. In one day, this group of volunteers, from all around the country, descended on my wee little house and saved it. My sister and I helped where we could, and by that, I mean fetching tacos because they had all the actual work well and fully handled.
To say recovery has been hard and unbelievably expensive would be an understatement.
My kids and I couch surfed with friends for two weeks before we could move into a very expensive rental.
Dealing with FEMA and my unfathomably incompetent insurance company became another full-time job.I have borrowed money to cover the restoration while I wait for the
insurance company to finally pay. But it is never enough, there is just never enough time or
money anymore.
When Cenovio popped by again and offered me free kitchen cabinets, I was so relieved I cried.
The financial pressures have been unrelenting and that is a huge expense that I could remove
from my long list of huge expenses. Maybe I would have two dimes to rub together again
someday. And then, because these angels have the biggest hearts in the whole world, they
offered to install them. That saved me thousands more dollars on top of thousands of dollars.
I assumed I was getting leftover, cheap cabinets and I was thrilled with that. But instead,
I was sent to a website where I was able to choose both color and style, WHAT? That’s amazing.
The kitchen is a dream come true, a million times nicer than the one it replaced or one I could ever afford.
I cannot possibly thank the United AId Foundation enough for what they have done for my neighbors and me.
There just aren’t enough words. They saved my house, quite literally.
Their generosity allowed me to be able to give my sons a little better Christmas and let me rest a little easier at night, knowing there may be some light at the end of this tunnel.
And this is really corny, but honestly, my faith in humanity is restored. In a world where everyone
wants what they think is theirs and they wanted it yesterday, this organization is just giving and
giving, affecting real change. If you are a potential donor reading this, give them all of your money.
Really, they are out in the world, disaster to disaster, house to house, doing a world of good.