Help our Friend Junerie

We’re raising funds for our friend Junerie tuarez (Jun to most), a much-loved part of the Love Cafe family

While out on a run, Jun was the victim of a hit and run. He’s now in hospital with a severe brain bleed and is in critical condition. It’s a really tough and uncertain time, and we just want to do whatever we can to support him and his family.

If the doctors in Rarotonga say he’s stable enough to travel, our hope is to raise enough to get him to New Zealand or Fiji for more advanced medical care. That’s the best-case scenario we’re all holding onto right now. As June is not a Cook Islander or PR, doesn’t hold a New Zealand passport, and is originally from the Philippines, he doesn’t qualify for the referral system or public healthcare in New Zealand, meaning the costs to medivac and treat him are extremely high.

Anyone who has met Jun knows that he is one of the kindest, most gentle people you could meet. He’s always got a smile on his face, remembers everyone’s coffee order, and brings a smile to everyone’s face. He’s a big part of why Love Cafe feels like home for so many of us.

Right now, we’re raising money to help with his medical care and to support his family during this time.

Anything you can give would mean a lot. And if you can’t donate, sharing this page or keeping Jun and his family in your thoughts and prayers would go a long way too.

Let’s show up for Jun the way he’s always shown up for everyone else