By Jessica Easthope
It was one of the lowest points of Stephanie Marchetti’s life. She was panicked and felt like she had nowhere to turn.
“I can’t leave, I can’t be in the water because there’s sewage and I’m getting shocked, it was just such a helpless feeling,” she said.
The night Hurricane Ida made landfall, Stephanie went to bed thinking she’d be unphased by the storm – but she couldn’t have been more wrong.
She lost everything, and her landlord at her Middle Village apartment told her she no longer had a home there. She was forced to leave without so much as a change of clothes.
“I had to immediately throw things away, my father passed away I had to throw out things he gave me, I’m here showing you I have nothing and they didn’t care,” said Stephanie.
Stephanie posted about the ordeal on Facebook and it was seen by one of her former kindergarten students at St. Sebastian’s Catholic Academy. Julia Manning, who’s now in eighth grade told her mom, Amy and in a click the Mannings came back into Stephanie’s life in a big way. They started a GoFundMe for her.
“It felt good to help somebody out especially someone who I know who helped me as a little kid,” said Julia. “I saw how it helped Stephanie feel that there were people who cared about her,” Amy said.
So far, they’ve raised a few thousand dollars – but more than that they’ve raised Stephanie’s hope.
“Of course I need the money to buy all the things I don’t have but I really needed that faith in humanity again,” she said.
And for the Mannings – it was an opportunity to give back and live their faith.
“We tell our kids all the time, do the right thing, help people in need, and it’s more important to show them,” said Amy.
They’re hoping to raise more money, Stephanie has a long way to go, but she’s learned that just as quickly as your life can change for the worse – it can change for the better.
To help Stephanie recover after Hurricane Ida, you can donate at HERE: Gofundme link