7 Families Lost Everything in a fire
Donation protected
My name is Paula Overstreet. I live a few doors down from the destruction. I'm one of the lucky ones. But my 7 neighbors down the street were not. These folks lost everything they owned. Some even lost their furbabies.
All of us who live here are living paycheck to paycheck for the most part, and are limited to the help we can offer. That's why we're turning to gofundme. The goal is to raise $70,000 to be split equally between the families who were effected by the April 23rd fire.
Those family's are:
Gilbert & Tina Gerber- they lost their home and 1 of their sweet pups suffered burns to her feet. Gilbert is being credited with no lives being lost, because he alerted the neighborhood of the fire, and also tried to pull as many cars as he could out of the fires path. He also attempted to control the fire using a hose while waiting for emergency crews to arrive.
Mr. Larry Peterson- Larry is a 74yr old U.S. Army Veteran. He retired from WBAMC after 30+ years of civilian service. Larry lost a collection of law books and some antique 1st editions along with everything else he owned. He was home at the time of the fire and was able to get his furbabies out without harm.
Alex & Yvette Medina- Yvette is a student at NMSU. Not only did these ladies lose everything they owned, they lost all of their furbabies. At this time they have not come back to see the scene as its, understandably, too painful for them. I've been talking to them and they have expressed their gratefulness that not only were no human lives were lost, but also by the overwhelming support from the Chaparral/El Paso/Las Cruces communities. They both work and need help to rebuild their life.
Ms. Francis Williams- Ms. Francis is a neighborhood senior. Like most of us she is on a low/ fixed income. We thought she had lost her dog to the fire, but I am happy to say I just got word that the pup has been found alive and well, and reunited with Francis. Her home is also a total loss, with nothing surviving the flames.
Kathy Johnson & Noel Coley- Ms. Kathy's pregnant daughter was living with them at the time of the fire. Everything they had for baby was destroyed. The young lady will have her labor induced tomorrow (4/26/21), and now has no home, no crib, no diapers, or other necessities to bring the child home too. Again, this is a low/ fixed income household where starting over is going to be nearly impossible without help.
Ms. Rose Loera- Ms. Rose just turned 70 on 4/6/21. She uses a cane, a walker, and a wheelchair when necessary. All of those implements were lost in the fire as well as everything else in her home. She is currently staying with her son, but being the independent woman she is, wants to be on her own again. Due to her low/ fixed income situation, she won't be able to do that without financial assistance. As of this writing, we have gotten both a wheelchair and a walker donated to Ms. Rose.
Ms. Benita Olivas- I have not been able to reach Ms. Benita. I believe I spoke with her grandson Friday evening. If that's who it was, he told me she had to be physically removed from her burning home because she was insistent she wasn't leaving. Luckily, she did get out unharmed, but her trailer and her belongings were not so lucky. I've heard that she is staying with family right now, but she will need to replace at least her wardrobe and lord knows what else.
These families need financial help to rebuild their lives and their homes. I know $70,000 is a lofty goal. But after fees and everything are held out, it would be less than $10,000 per family. None of the funds are going to the landlord, ONLY TO THOSE LISTED ABOVE.
Thank you,
Paula Overstreet
All of us who live here are living paycheck to paycheck for the most part, and are limited to the help we can offer. That's why we're turning to gofundme. The goal is to raise $70,000 to be split equally between the families who were effected by the April 23rd fire.
Those family's are:
Gilbert & Tina Gerber- they lost their home and 1 of their sweet pups suffered burns to her feet. Gilbert is being credited with no lives being lost, because he alerted the neighborhood of the fire, and also tried to pull as many cars as he could out of the fires path. He also attempted to control the fire using a hose while waiting for emergency crews to arrive.
Mr. Larry Peterson- Larry is a 74yr old U.S. Army Veteran. He retired from WBAMC after 30+ years of civilian service. Larry lost a collection of law books and some antique 1st editions along with everything else he owned. He was home at the time of the fire and was able to get his furbabies out without harm.
Alex & Yvette Medina- Yvette is a student at NMSU. Not only did these ladies lose everything they owned, they lost all of their furbabies. At this time they have not come back to see the scene as its, understandably, too painful for them. I've been talking to them and they have expressed their gratefulness that not only were no human lives were lost, but also by the overwhelming support from the Chaparral/El Paso/Las Cruces communities. They both work and need help to rebuild their life.
Ms. Francis Williams- Ms. Francis is a neighborhood senior. Like most of us she is on a low/ fixed income. We thought she had lost her dog to the fire, but I am happy to say I just got word that the pup has been found alive and well, and reunited with Francis. Her home is also a total loss, with nothing surviving the flames.
Kathy Johnson & Noel Coley- Ms. Kathy's pregnant daughter was living with them at the time of the fire. Everything they had for baby was destroyed. The young lady will have her labor induced tomorrow (4/26/21), and now has no home, no crib, no diapers, or other necessities to bring the child home too. Again, this is a low/ fixed income household where starting over is going to be nearly impossible without help.
Ms. Rose Loera- Ms. Rose just turned 70 on 4/6/21. She uses a cane, a walker, and a wheelchair when necessary. All of those implements were lost in the fire as well as everything else in her home. She is currently staying with her son, but being the independent woman she is, wants to be on her own again. Due to her low/ fixed income situation, she won't be able to do that without financial assistance. As of this writing, we have gotten both a wheelchair and a walker donated to Ms. Rose.
Ms. Benita Olivas- I have not been able to reach Ms. Benita. I believe I spoke with her grandson Friday evening. If that's who it was, he told me she had to be physically removed from her burning home because she was insistent she wasn't leaving. Luckily, she did get out unharmed, but her trailer and her belongings were not so lucky. I've heard that she is staying with family right now, but she will need to replace at least her wardrobe and lord knows what else.
These families need financial help to rebuild their lives and their homes. I know $70,000 is a lofty goal. But after fees and everything are held out, it would be less than $10,000 per family. None of the funds are going to the landlord, ONLY TO THOSE LISTED ABOVE.
Thank you,
Paula Overstreet
Organizer
Paula Pannell Overstreet
Organizer
Newman, NM
