Esk Valley flooding - Help rebuild Chris and Luciana's lives

As you may have seen on the news our friends Chris and Luciana and their children Oliver and Sofia were rescued from their roof during the flooding in the Esk Valley. For six hours during Cyclone Gabrielle they sat hugging the insulation inside their ceiling while waiting for the rain to stop and listening to their furniture bobbing beneath them.

They are alive and have their puppy, Barley, but they have lost almost everything else in the flood. Their house, cars, brewery and the business they have worked tirelessly with Chris’ brother Philip to create are filled with silt. Philip has also lost his house and vineyard and was also rescued as the floodwaters rose. They need support in the short term to buy essentials like clothes, toiletries and toys for their children and then to rebuild their life and business.

Anyone who knows Chris and Luciana know that they are great people who would be the first to help out others in need and would be too humble to ask for help themselves. Please give generously to support them and once they are back on their feet they will be able to pay it forward again. They are insured but its currently unclear what will be covered, especially in relation to their contents. Chris has committed that any money they don’t need they will share with others who need support.

If you can’t help financially but would like to support in another way, please reach out to Rex (Rnewman@nbhs.school.nz) and he will be able to coordinate.

There is another page for the family here: https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/zeelandt-brewery-cyclone-recovery