Vivian Forgy – Englewood, New Jersey

The night Ida’s remnants came through, Vivian Forgy woke to the sound of firefighters knocking on the front door of her first-floor apartment in a senior housing building in Englewood, New Jersey. They were telling her she needed to get out — a nearby brook had overflowed and the building was flooding.

“I was in shock,” said Vivian. “I never had anything like this happen to me before. It’s a blessing we all made it out alive.”

Returning to her apartment the next day, Vivian learned that the building was closed and residents had to vacate for at least two years for repairs. She had lost everything in the flood.

Thanks to our generous donors, the Red Cross was there to provide Vivian emergency financial assistance to help with immediate needs. “Thank goodness for that assistance,” said Vivian. “With that help, I was able to purchase some clothes, shoes, and well, undergarments — I really had nothing but the clothes on my back!”

After searching for months, Vivian was able to find a new apartment in a nearby town. Around this same time, she received additional Red Cross bridge (recovery) assistance, which helped Vivian purchase furniture, linens and kitchen items for her new place.

“This is one grateful 81-year-old lady ... you have no idea how this lifted my spirits,” said Vivian. “Thanks to the Red Cross, I was able to get through it.”

Donna Tindle – Middlesex, New Jersey

Donna and her two children, Annabelle (age 20) and Cody (age 22) rent a home in Middlesex, New Jersey. “My kids were at work during the rainstorm, thank God,” said Donna. “So just myself and my puppy Lacey waded through thigh-high waters to get to safety.”

The family counts themselves lucky that they were able to stay with friends during the four and a half months when repairs needed to be made by the landlord. Still, Donna and her children lost everything. All their furniture. All their clothing.

“We lost everything,” said Donna. “If it wasn’t on our backs when we evacuated, it was destroyed and thrown away.”

Donna is grateful for the Red Cross financial assistance she received which helped purchase items like furniture and clothing lost in the flood.

“I can't thank the Red Cross and its generous donors enough for helping out my family and others that were affected by this hurricane,” said Donna. “We are still working on repairing and replacing what was lost, but we are so grateful to be back home.”

Rajeeyah Taylor – Elizabeth, New Jersey

Rajeeyah Taylor and her daughter, Akasha, lived in a townhouse in Elizabeth, New Jersey, when the remnants of Hurricane Ida swept through the area. “The storm happened on Akasha’s 11th birthday on September 1,” Rajeeyah said. “That is a day she will never forget, because everything she knew was snatched from her in an instant.”

Their home was inundated by floodwaters, and the family of two was left with just minutes to pack what they could. “I have never in my life seen anything like this outside of television,” Rajeeyah said. She also lost her car to the storm.

“I had to replace our clothes and still get my daughter prepared for school and my return to work,” she said. Rajeeyah and Akasha were displaced from their home for three months, spending most of that time in hotels. “The stress this has caused is like no other,” Rajeeyah explained.

The Red Cross was there for the Taylor family, providing financial assistance to help with their many pressing needs.

“[It] was beneficial because it allowed me to buy the things we needed,” Rajeeyah said. “It was a blessing, because I had already lost so much and had to replace everything we lost.”