Hurricane Ian brought devastation and ruin to Sarasota County and many of the families residing here. The destruction and peril was an unexpected hardship that many families were unprepared to recover from. With the costs of living at an all-time high, many hardworking families in our community are living paycheck to paycheck and are unable to save for an unexpected hardship such as a natural disaster, car accident, daycare closure, etc. The Martinelli family was no exception. Last October, in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, Cheryl and Jonathan found themselves without work for several weeks. Until that time, both parents had been able to provide for their children without any additional assistance. Due to the hurricane, Cheryl lost two big contracts that were severely damaged in the storm putting her and her husband out of work for 2 weeks. This inability to work resulted in a total loss of income for that period of time and no money to be able to pay November's rent. Cheryl heard of Family Promise of South Sarasota County, and contacted the Family Service Coordinator to inquire about rental assistance to remain stably housed. Thanks to the generous donations of our supporters, Family Promise was able to assist the family with that November rent to prevent an eviction. When asked about her experience with Family Promise, Cheryl stated, "The case manager and staff were so helpful and followed up with us and the landlord to ensure our stability. Not being able to work and pay our bills was unexpected, and we are so incredibly grateful that programs such as Family Promise exist." | |
