Stranded In Uruguay

TL;DR: 
Family of 6 stranded in Uruguay without income as a result of COVID-19.

$22,800 - Flights
$5000 - Rent (for a home in Vancouver they are not able to occupy)
$1200 - COVID tests

Full story below:

In early March, my friend J flew to Uruguay to help her family prepare to make the move to Vancouver in June. She did not have a return ticket at this time, as the whole family was supposed to buy tickets & fly together once they were ready to do so.

The family includes J, her two baby sisters (ages 4 & 13), her grandma, her mom, and her stepdad. 
 
When J departed for Uruguay, it was before any heavy COVID restrictions been put in place, and before any of us really knew how bad things were going to get.

When COVID hit hard, all flights were cancelled and the family quickly accepted they’d be stuck in Uruguay a little longer than they had originally anticipated.

 Flights first started popping up online in late May (for departure in early June), and sold out before they were able to get their hands on them.

 The next flight was scheduled for early July, and would cost them $1500 per person ($9000 total). They purchased 6 tickets to come home.

J’s family owned a small market/deli in Uruguay, where they sold fresh produce, kitchen staples and other essentials. As a result of COVID, the family was forced to close their store, cutting off their only source of income.

There is no income support in Uruguay.

The family sold their 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee, and are currently taking things day-by-day purchasing as little as they can to stay afloat.

The flights they had purchased for early July were cancelled.

They were rescheduled for late July.
The flights were cancelled.

They were rescheduled for early August.
The flights were cancelled.

 It was after their August flight got cancelled that the family was informed that they “didn’t even have actual flights to begin with”, and that they would “let them know” when something became available.

The airline will not refund their money, and will not get them on a plane in the foreseeable future.

Their options were to continue waiting, stranded & without income in Uruguay until their original ticket purchase got them on a plane, or pay another $2000 per person for the next available humanitarian flight.

They chose the humanitarian flight, costing them another $12,000 for the family.

 This brings the total cost so far to $21,000 in flights alone.

As the family was supposed to be moving to Vancouver in June, they had already put down a deposit and signed a lease for a $2500/month rental.  

 Factoring in rent costs for June and July, that brings the total up to $26,000.

Before the family can board the humanitarian flight in August, all will need to be tested for COVID.
In Uruguay, these tests cost $200 per person, bringing the total up to $27,200.

Assuming all goes well, these flights will travel through Europe and eventually leave the family in Toronto.
From Toronto, the family will have to purchase additional tickets (estimated at $300 per person), bringing the total up to $29,000.

This total does not consider any of their immediate day-to-day expenses that a family of 6 incurs.

While the goal for this fundraiser is $30,000, every penny helps.
If you have anything to spare, please consider donating and please share!

Disclaimer:
This is a family of very kind, funny, hard-working and selfless people who have found themselves in an incredibly difficult situation.
I took it upon myself to create this fundraiser – they have not asked for a penny.