Dear friends,

I am here to ask for your help. By the time Hurricane Irma left the Virgin Islands it created a scene of absolute destruction. Much of the island, its homes and businesses have been destroyed. Most of these buildings were not insured. Many peeople on St. John are left trying to piece together their lives and figure out what is next. Many will be forced to move, or are now left homeless. Elizabeth Hoffing, my mother, is among these people.

If you've ever known my mother, even if you just met her once standing in line at the grocery store- you heard her talk about St. John. It is all that she has ever wanted to talk about. The island is without a doubt the love of her life. During the 20 years that my mother lived in Chicago working as a teacher, she always knew that when she retired, she would head straight back to St. John and would never leave until the day she died.



My brother Jason beat her to it. After college he moved back down to St. John and began his life as a boat captain. After years of hard work, Jason was able to purchase a piece of land and began building a humble home. Soon after he began a relationship with an incredible woman named Jill who worked at the Gifft Hill School, they are now married :)



4 years ago, after so many years of waiting my mother finally moved on down to St. John. She used her life savings to purchase a piece of land right next to Jason's.



She began work on her humble shack. It may have been very small (thats all she could afford to build) but it was her absolute dream come true. As her sons, nothing could have made Jason and I happier than seeing our mother's dreams finally coming true.



Then came Irma...



With the loss of their homes, the future is very uncertain. What we do know is that we cannot leave St. John. This is our home. We will rebuild, whatever it takes. But it is going to take time, and it is going to take lots of money.



I know that 200,000 is a lofty goal. But there has been so much damage that we must start over from scratch. I do not expect to raise this money, but every single dollar that is donated helps us get closer to the life that we were heading towards before this storm came and changed everything. Many people have reached out asking if there was any way that they could help. This is the best and most efficent way I could come up with. Please remember that every dollar helps and that our family is forever indebted to those who have been so supportive during this difficult time.



With nothing but love and graditude,

Your friend,

ADAM T. SISKA

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