My name is Simon Powell. We are exhausted. We are terrified. And we are running out of options.

In Lenoir, North Carolina, on September 27th, 2024, a tree crashed into our home, destroying the back corner and forcing all 10 of us — my wife, my daughters, my son, my grandchildren, and their families — to flee with almost nothing except what we could fit in trash bags. I worked over 40 years to buy that house and faithfully paid for high-coverage homeowners insurance. We believed we were protected. We were wrong.

We are a family of 10, plus two dogs. My grandchildren include a child who is Level 3 autistic and depends on routine and stability, yet they have endured constant displacement for over 16 months. For about three months after the storm, my wife, my daughters, my son, and their children lived in tents in our backyard. When it started to get cold, the insurance company placed them into a hotel, but my wife and I could not go because we couldn’t bring our dogs, Zeus and Lucy. After the hotel stay ended, everyone returned to our backyard, now living in campers.

In 18 months, we have gone through six insurance adjusters. Approximately $240,000 has been paid to a contractor, but almost nothing has been properly completed. Some sheetrock was replaced, but it has already developed leaks. Our home has been exposed to the weather for months, leaving it unsafe and unlivable. My wife battles lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, insulin-dependent diabetes, chronic organ issues, high blood pressure, severe deficiencies, heart stents from a prior heart attack, and severe anxiety and depression. I am a colon cancer survivor with blood pressure issues. Living in unstable conditions has made managing our health nearly impossible.

We are now living in campers on our own property still paying mortgage on a home we can't live in due to it being unsafe. A dumpster filled with debris and an unserviced porta-potty have been sitting on our land for months. FEMA could not help because we carry homeowners insurance. My family is beyond exhausted. My grandchildren still need stability and a safe home.

We are asking for help to raise $100,000 altogether to finally complete the repairs our home desperately needs. Donations will go directly toward structural work, fixing leaks, weatherproofing, and making our home safe and livable for my family.

We did everything right. We worked hard. We paid for insurance. We followed every rule. And yet here we are — living outside, praying every day for relief.

If God places it on your heart to help, any support — whether a donation or simply sharing our story — brings us one step closer to rebuilding our home and giving our family the stability they desperately need.