911!! Lost all in a house fire!
Tax deductible
On July 31, 2018 at 11pm, 83 year old war veteran, Ernie Spitzer, and his teenage grandson, Tyler Johnson (who has lived with Ernie since birth), had their house burn completely down, due to an electrical problem. Thankfully, Ernie and Tyler managed to escape without harm to their bodies. Not only did Ernie and Tyler lose every single thing that they own, but they also lost all physical remembrances of Tyler's grandmother, Pat Johnson- mother to Tyler since birth, as well. Pat died of cancer a few years ago, leaving Ernie to care for Tyler all alone. And what an incredible job Ernie has done, too!
There are not many people in the Blairstown/Frelinghuysen NJ area who do not know Tyler and Ernie. Extremely popular in sports, a graduate of NWRHS, with a smile on his face at all times and a heart of gold, Tyler and his story has touched the hearts of everyone who has ever met him. Ernie has devoted his life to caring for the special needs that Tyler has, and they have an incredible relationship.
I met Tyler, Pat and Ernie 8 years ago, on the first day that The Barnyard Sanctuary opened for taking in homeless farm animals. They had received a zoning violation for having chickens, ducks and geese (after 10 years!) due to a new neighbor that moved in from NYC, who did not like the noises. Friends, and even strangers who heard of Tyler, had given Tyler all these birds, as therapy birds, to help bring Tyler out of his silent shell. And, it worked! Tyler's birds came to us, and Tyler/Pat/Ernie became regular visitors, continuing to take the birds to local fairs, etc. I feel privileged to have watched Tyler grow up into the incredible young man that he is today (I cried when I saw his prom pictures).
It is traumatic enough for ANYONE to lose their home, let alone Tyler and Ernie. Not only do they need money to replace the basic necessities, but also to rent an apartment or small house. Ernie has lived in his home for 35 years. It is not in his fixed retirement income budget to pay rent. Try and imagine yourself in Ernie's shoes...living on a fixed retirement, managing the incredibly busy life of a teenage grandson, being 83 years old, and needing to start all over again.
"Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you." But for the grace of God, this could be you or I in this situation. Please, be generous. They desperately need our help. If WE, neighbors and friends, don't help them, who will?
Thank you,
Tamala Lester
Personal friend of Ernie and Tyler, and
Founding Director of The Barnyard Sanctuary
PS- As you are technically making a donation to The Barnyard Sanctuary here, your deductions are tax exempt, as we are a 501c3 non-profit. Once the money is deposited into our account, we will write a check to Ernie and give it to him with a printout of who donated it to him. He will receive 100% of the money GoFundMe sends us. Please note that GoFundMe has fees that they charge for their services. We, of course, do not. It is a labor of love and support for Ernie and Tyler.
PSS- If you prefer to mail a check, please send it to:
The Barnyard Sanctuary
PO Box 167
Blairstown, NJ 07825
We are unable to manually enter your cash/check donation here, but will be sure to make a copy for Ernie and Tyler.
There are not many people in the Blairstown/Frelinghuysen NJ area who do not know Tyler and Ernie. Extremely popular in sports, a graduate of NWRHS, with a smile on his face at all times and a heart of gold, Tyler and his story has touched the hearts of everyone who has ever met him. Ernie has devoted his life to caring for the special needs that Tyler has, and they have an incredible relationship.
I met Tyler, Pat and Ernie 8 years ago, on the first day that The Barnyard Sanctuary opened for taking in homeless farm animals. They had received a zoning violation for having chickens, ducks and geese (after 10 years!) due to a new neighbor that moved in from NYC, who did not like the noises. Friends, and even strangers who heard of Tyler, had given Tyler all these birds, as therapy birds, to help bring Tyler out of his silent shell. And, it worked! Tyler's birds came to us, and Tyler/Pat/Ernie became regular visitors, continuing to take the birds to local fairs, etc. I feel privileged to have watched Tyler grow up into the incredible young man that he is today (I cried when I saw his prom pictures).
It is traumatic enough for ANYONE to lose their home, let alone Tyler and Ernie. Not only do they need money to replace the basic necessities, but also to rent an apartment or small house. Ernie has lived in his home for 35 years. It is not in his fixed retirement income budget to pay rent. Try and imagine yourself in Ernie's shoes...living on a fixed retirement, managing the incredibly busy life of a teenage grandson, being 83 years old, and needing to start all over again.
"Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you." But for the grace of God, this could be you or I in this situation. Please, be generous. They desperately need our help. If WE, neighbors and friends, don't help them, who will?
Thank you,
Tamala Lester
Personal friend of Ernie and Tyler, and
Founding Director of The Barnyard Sanctuary
PS- As you are technically making a donation to The Barnyard Sanctuary here, your deductions are tax exempt, as we are a 501c3 non-profit. Once the money is deposited into our account, we will write a check to Ernie and give it to him with a printout of who donated it to him. He will receive 100% of the money GoFundMe sends us. Please note that GoFundMe has fees that they charge for their services. We, of course, do not. It is a labor of love and support for Ernie and Tyler.
PSS- If you prefer to mail a check, please send it to:
The Barnyard Sanctuary
PO Box 167
Blairstown, NJ 07825
We are unable to manually enter your cash/check donation here, but will be sure to make a copy for Ernie and Tyler.
Organizer
Tamala Lester
Organizer
Blairstown, NJ
The Barnyard Sanctuary, a NJ Nonprofit Corporation
Registered nonprofit
Donations are typically 100% tax deductible in the US.
