SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — From diapers to food to clothes, the 'STEP' warehouse has just about everything to help these military families who lost so much in the deadly jet crash in Murphy Canyon. Now that includes the McCarty family as they take that first big step to rebuilding.
"I think today for both of us the emotions are really, really high,” Srujana McCarty says, holding back tears as the couple packed up their car.
It's been two days since the McCartys' world was turned upside down, and in those 48 hours, a whirlwind of emotions.
“The last few days have been just kind of robotic trying to get through — trying to get someplace safe. So today the emotions are catching up,” Srujana tells me.
But inside this warehouse, a hand to help in more ways than one. Bins and boxes filled with necessities and stacked up high to the ceiling. Many of them are donations from people from all corners of the region.
“It's like a blanket of support. It's more than we could ever expect,” Ben McCarty explains.
"I'll never get to properly say thank you personally, but every little bit counts,” says Srujana.
The McCarty's packed up car seats, diapers, and toys for their two little ones. Dozens of other families, just like them displaced after the tragedy can take advantage of the same support.
"We can take care of that and we can you know move that out of the way and it's like how do we help solving these problems to get to get them in the safest mental space, uh, that they can be in,” says CEO of Support the Enlisted Project, Tony Teravainen.
Teravainen, the mastermind behind this nonprofit, is familiar with loss.
“In 2007, I lost my house in a wildfire, so I got to experience a complete loss of everything,” he says.
From losing everything to providing anything and everything to others in the same boat. He now dedicates his time to help families heal and rebuild.
“I think it's fantastic that we can do that and I look at these families every day and I see, you know, myself, my brother, my sister, my friends, and it's like these are my people and now I'm able to come back and give back and I think that's that's just something that feels like such a success in life,” says Teravainen.
A success in life to bring a sparkle of hope for this family of four.
“They've assured us like this is just the first step and I felt like they're gonna be a partner that helps us grow through this for a while,” Ben says.
The first step to gaining their footing and healing from this tragedy.
“I could see this is going to be something that's gonna help us not just 5 years but 10 years down the line just secure ourselves financially, just find a stable ground and build up.”
If you want to help the McCarty family further, you can donate to their GoFundMe here.
