9-year-old Diana Alvarez has been missing since May 29th, and her stepfather Uribe Jimenez hasn’t worked since. While the family is searching for the little girl, numerous GoFundMe pages have popped up purporting to raise funds for her family.
Yady Galono is a family friend from church. She’s leading an interfaith effort of local church members helping the family through lean times.
“It is families, individual families that out of their pocket and out of their kindness are bringing food to the family,” said Galano.
Local organizations have helped the family pay rent and Nancy Martinez, who is Diana’s second cousin, set up a Gofundme account titled, “Fund Diana’s Army.”
“It’s the only GoFund account the family officially has,” said Galano.
Other accounts have started to spring up online.
“The family is concerned people might be creating GoFund accounts not on their behalf,” said Galano.
Some of the accounts are being created by people the family knows, but Diana’s family stresses only one account belongs to them and anyone who wants to help, should only donate to that account.
The family’s ‘official’ GoFundMe page is asking for $5000 to fund billboards, radio ads, and missing persons flyers. Some folks, however, believe the family is attempting to profit off tragedy.
A suspect with ties to the little girl’s family is currently in custody, but the search for Diana continues.