House fire everything lost
Edit by Shawn D. Henry:
I apologize for my lack of presence here on this fundraiser. You see, I had this event happen to me that has limited my computer time. I hope you understand. Since the event, I've been working almost non-stop to evaluate the damage, clean up the site, and make the home habitable. On Sunday (9/27/2015) I went to work at 11am, returned home at 5pm, and scrubbed our living room walls until 6:30am. I refuse to be in front of a computer as friends, their friends, and their (In the case of my good friend Chad) mother-in-laws scrub the walls of my laundry room. I have not stopped working on rebuilding this home. When I'm not home cleaning up damages, I am working at my day job to make funds to repair damages. When I've finished a grueling shift at my Red Lobster, dealing with the insanity of Endless Shrimp, I return home to scrub the walls of the chaos I've inflicted onto the inhabitants of my home. Again, I apologize for not writing to everyone sooner.
Hi! I'm Shawn, friend and tenant of Douglas Smith. I am the victim of my own tragedy. It was my candle that set the room ablaze.
Douglas is an outstanding person. I've known him the better part of a decade. We first became friends in high school. He's a reliable guy with lots of quirks. Our friendship is solid, and it endured through my ventures to Orlando, and across the country to Seattle. He's a gentle soul. Way in the past, during my angsty youth, I recall walking the 3 miles to him home after a particulary heated arguement with my parents. He opened the door without hesitation and let me relax in his home. He's not the best at handling those types of situations, but he provided a calming environment in which to sort my thoughts. There's a special bond in those people who can enjoy each other's silence.
Last month, August, my previous living situation became unbearable. Rather, it was bearable, but not comfortable. Douglas offered me a room in the home he had purchased. He worked with me on rent, and accepted a week to week payment so that I could start to re-establish my life with low levels of stress. When I called and asked him to help move my belongings, he groaned, but didn't complain. He was at my door within the hour. It was 2am when he arrived. He is one of the most respectable people I know and I'm gratedful to call him a friend.
This was a series of unfortunate events unfolding one after the other. It can be said that there are multiple errors by multiple people; this is true. This event had the perfect wrong timing. As a result, Douglas is now unemployed, opting to repair his home instead of leaving his friends and tenants without a place to live.
This fundraiser exists to rebuild Douglas' house, home to Jenny Jenkins, Jimmy Pixler, Marco Hernadez and myself, Shawn Henry. The physical belongings I lost are items that can be replaced and will come in time. The true damges come from the inability to conduct our day-to-day lives from the environment we call home. There is no refrigerator in the house; there is no A/C, and we have no washer or dryer. No amount of money can compensate for the destruction of livelihood. I need help. We need help.
There has been an ENORMOUS amount of support from my local and long distance friends. There have been waves of people coming into the home with arm fulls of cleaning supplies, food and beverages, towels, paint and primer. Dozens of people have contributed 2 hours, 30 minutes, or 2 days of volunteer work to repair the home. People who had small quarrels over trival matters have put them to the side and come together for the home in need. Our situation seemed hopeless at the start, yet the light at the end of the tunnel grows brighter each day.
Today (9/29/2015) we started shoveling the debris into orange buckets and moving it to plastic dumpsters. (We consisted of a team of 4; good friends Victor and William, Douglas and I.) We began around 7:30pm. This is what my room looked like at that time.
By 12:00am today (9/30/2015) we had cleared my room to this:
I don't know how much these plastic dumpsters weigh, but I know we moved a helluvalot of debris; enough to fill these two plastic dumpsters: 
I lost 80% of my physical belongings, but the strength and support of the people in my life have filled the void brought on my materialism. My things are just that. I cannot quantify the amount of work people have spent in this home, on top of their own operating lives. It is simply incredible. This is not a fund to repurchase my items; I have unwavering support from those close to me that will provide everything from beds, to electronics, to tables and chairs.
This is a fund to rebuild the home of 4 genuinely kind people.
Majority of cleaning has been done. We are now on to repairing what was damaged. Rebuilding has commenced, but we need support for the larger items that we as a household cannot cover.
According to the Fire Department's Incident Report, damages for the house totaled $10,000 dollars, with an additional $2,000 lost in total 'items' (my stuff). Total cleaning and repair from a local company, SERVpro, estimated complete repair and cleaning (including duct cleaning, but excluding the cost of A/C repair/replacement) at $16,315.84. That is EXCLUDING A/C and appliance repair. Should you like to see this information yourself, I will gladly forward you the estimate.
We have an extended network of resources that allow us to purchase material at wholesale costs. I have so many people willing to do work that they've never done to fix a home that they've never lived in. There is so much positive energy in this support group. I have faith that we can accomplish this task at a lower rate than what ANY company quotes us for. That is the purpose of this fundraiser. This is where I need your help.
To those who have already donated, I send countless "Thank You's". I will be contacting each person individually when I have a moments time to give them a piece of my heart. This is an ordeal, but during any struggle one endures, you must remember one thing:
The greatest of beings rise from the most difficult situations. Thank you, for everything that you have contributed to our lives. Every moment you've spent reading this has given me resolve to keep moving forward. Every dollar you give encourages me to do what I know is right. Every minute I work along side my friends rebuilds my confidence, and I cannot thank everyone enough. Keep us in your hearts and minds, and help us rebuild through our troubled time. Thank you. I love you. <3
-S.D.
First Post
Recently there was a fire in my house that destroyed everything: photos, property, clothing, and food. Almost everything in the house was damaged or destroyed. My roommate did not have renters insurance and the other insurance was liability only so he lost everything he owns in the fire. The fire department busted out the windows and kicked down all the doors even though we let them in the front door. The house also got flooded from fire hose. Please donate and the funds raised Will go towards rebuilding/repairing the interior and my roommates life. Any help in repairing the doors, Windows, walls, and all other damages that the fire caused is greatly appreciated. The First estimate I got just for cleaning fire/smoke/water damage was $3500. That is $0 repairs because it has to be clean before an estimate can be written. Fire restoration companies said repairs will be more than double the cleaning cost. I can't express my thanks enough for any help that you give to my friend and I in this time of need. Please help us rebuild from the ashes of these unfortunate events and please help us restore the house to liveable conditions by donating today. Thank you so much for your time, and if you choose to donate: thank you so much for your donation. I wish you all a great day and an even better life. Thank you again so so very much This will help with cleaning and repairs on the house and anything extra will go to room mate to get him stuff again.