Helping Bill Get Back On His Feet
Donation protected
*update* we were able to get "Bill"'s car up and running, now all donations will go to the family to provide essentials for living until they are able find permanent arrangements. Thank you all for your contributions.
"Bill"'s real name is Phillip Mattern, he and his family are from Spring, Texas. This is his story
Today a man had his vehicle towed in the shop. After checking it out I came to the conclusion that his harmonic balancer was bad. Bill turned out to be an evacuee of Houston, due to hurricane Harvey. I explain to him what's wrong with his vehicle, and he informs me that he needs to talk it over with his wife. Knowing his situation, I offer to drive him back to his hotel. On the car ride, I learned a lot about Bill. He bought the vehicle about a month ago with money his grandmother left him when she passed away. A week later, his transmission went out and he needed to have it rebuilt. After having this done, he noticed further problems due to poor work. Unfortunately, due to the hurricane, he couldn't bring it back to that particular shop, m spending $2200 on bogus work. He then gets a little deeper, telling me how finding work has been tough, and he's been bouncing between jobs, working anything he can find to feed his family, which consists of a wife, and three kids, one of them a newborn. Then came the hurricane. He was telling me how his home was destroyed, along with all of his possessions, and his family has been basically living out of his car. He told me about how his children were traumatized, having been rescued from an inflatable raft. He then drives his water-damaged vehicle to the Chicago area, keep in mind with 3 small children and a wife, only to find out his car had further problems. He explained that money was tight, and FEMA had put him in a hotel for a week, and he had to be out by 12pm 9/12, with nowhere to go, no resources, and now no car to sleep in. The whole time this man was telling me all of this, he had the most positive attitude I've possibly ever seen. He was joking and smiling and grateful that him and his family had made it unharmed. I was in complete disbelief of this man's strength. After dropping him off I began to think about my own life. I suddenly became very grateful for what I have, and the blessings in my life. I was reminded that these disasters were very real, and many families were not as lucky as Bill's. We at the shop would like to help Bill begin to rebuild his life, starting with making his car drivable and once again safe for his family. In order to do this, we need to raise in the area of $2500, either to repair his vehicle, or find a temporary replacement, which is a completely obtainable goal. This man truly deserves this, any amount would help. I pray for this man, for him to keep his strength, and his positive outlook. I pray for his family, that they make it through this experience. Stay strong brother. May your perseverance pay off.
"Bill"'s real name is Phillip Mattern, he and his family are from Spring, Texas. This is his story
Today a man had his vehicle towed in the shop. After checking it out I came to the conclusion that his harmonic balancer was bad. Bill turned out to be an evacuee of Houston, due to hurricane Harvey. I explain to him what's wrong with his vehicle, and he informs me that he needs to talk it over with his wife. Knowing his situation, I offer to drive him back to his hotel. On the car ride, I learned a lot about Bill. He bought the vehicle about a month ago with money his grandmother left him when she passed away. A week later, his transmission went out and he needed to have it rebuilt. After having this done, he noticed further problems due to poor work. Unfortunately, due to the hurricane, he couldn't bring it back to that particular shop, m spending $2200 on bogus work. He then gets a little deeper, telling me how finding work has been tough, and he's been bouncing between jobs, working anything he can find to feed his family, which consists of a wife, and three kids, one of them a newborn. Then came the hurricane. He was telling me how his home was destroyed, along with all of his possessions, and his family has been basically living out of his car. He told me about how his children were traumatized, having been rescued from an inflatable raft. He then drives his water-damaged vehicle to the Chicago area, keep in mind with 3 small children and a wife, only to find out his car had further problems. He explained that money was tight, and FEMA had put him in a hotel for a week, and he had to be out by 12pm 9/12, with nowhere to go, no resources, and now no car to sleep in. The whole time this man was telling me all of this, he had the most positive attitude I've possibly ever seen. He was joking and smiling and grateful that him and his family had made it unharmed. I was in complete disbelief of this man's strength. After dropping him off I began to think about my own life. I suddenly became very grateful for what I have, and the blessings in my life. I was reminded that these disasters were very real, and many families were not as lucky as Bill's. We at the shop would like to help Bill begin to rebuild his life, starting with making his car drivable and once again safe for his family. In order to do this, we need to raise in the area of $2500, either to repair his vehicle, or find a temporary replacement, which is a completely obtainable goal. This man truly deserves this, any amount would help. I pray for this man, for him to keep his strength, and his positive outlook. I pray for his family, that they make it through this experience. Stay strong brother. May your perseverance pay off.
Organizer
Andrew Hancock
Organizer
Glen Ellyn, IL
