SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A San Diego woman is trying to help her mom and uncle in Tampa, who survived Hurricane Milton after it made landfall earlier this week.
Kirah Gino is unable to fly them back to San Diego, so she started a GoFundMe for not just her family, but for her mother's new friends.
Gino's mother, Bobbi Dunne, moved from San Diego to Tampa years ago to help out her brother, who is very sick and a double amputee.
Dunne said she did everything she could to prepare their two-bedroom apartment for the hurricane, but wind and rain still smashed through their entire apartment complex and ruined almost everything.
"This was my mom's armoire, but it's ruined. It's over 100 years old," Dunne said.
For the past few days, Dunne has been throwing out more than just precious furniture. She's also had to get rid of their beds and mattresses.
"Now my brother is sleeping in a recliner chair," Dunne said.
Dunne lives near Yukon and 39th streets in Tampa.
Dunne said they’re still under a boil water notice and the grocery stores nearby are running out of food.
However, one piece of good news came Saturday: The power returned.
Dunne also received more good news from her sister.
"She goes, 'I sent you a text to look at it' and it was the text that Kirah put up for a GoFundMe, and I went, 'Wow,'" Dunne said.
Dunne has also been helping out her neighbor upstairs, Ceresa Rivera, and her family.
"You know, there's not a lot of neighbors like Bobbi," Rivera said. "She helped out even with us, not having no light, giving us some food, and stuff, and it's a blessing."
Dunne told ABC 10News that whatever money comes through the GoFundMe will go between her family and her neighbors.
"It took a hurricane to create a new family and friends. For that, I have been blessed," Dunne said.
If you'd like to donate to the cause, you can follow this link.
