$1,000 in donations stolen from Nash County family hit hard by tornado; friends and strangers rally to help

NASH COUNTY, N.C. — A Nash County family said someone stole more than $1,000 in donations from them.

“We had just a couple seconds to get in [the bathroom]. Next thing you know, everything was just gone,” said Haydi Marenco Chavarria.

She said she and her family have lived in the house on Cummings Road for more than four years. They’re no strangers to tornado warnings, but this time was different.

“I told the baby, ‘This is it for us.’ I never thought I would die this way,” Chavarria said. But she survived. Her family was met with a demolished home and no belongings.

“I miss going home to go to bed in my own bed,” her daughter Nicky Juarez said.

Chavarria said they were moving things in and out of their temporary hotel room when the money was stolen. The community support only came back stronger.

“People need to help each other in times like this,” Gregory Pittman said. He was one of at least 10 people WRAL saw who stopped by to offer a donation.

In fact – a stranger, all the way from Idaho, said he saw the remains of the house and felt compelled to help.

“I was at a church Sunday, asked how I could help, and they said there was a tornado here,” Daxton Taylor said. “Instead of going to the church directly, I just turned, pulled in, said ‘hi’ to the people that live here. I said, ‘I’m here, I’m available. What do you need?’”

Since then, they’ve been able to raise $3,000 more to help during this time.