Help For Lavonne Davis
Donation protected
Hi, my name is Alonzo Johnson. I am the oldest of 6 children belonging to Lavonne Davis..
As I write this I must admit that it is a very difficult thing for me to have to do. For one, it brings to memory the concern and emotions that gripped me when I first received the call late Sunday night December 20th 2020 from my niece, stating that my mom's house was on fire.
By nothing less than the sheer Grace of God, she and her newborn baby boy and my mother were able to get out safely. It turns out that my mom had left a pot of food cooking on the stove and had went back to her room and totally forgot. By the time the smoke detectors went off, the kitchen was fully engulfed in flames. The miracle in this all, is that although the kitchen was in full flare, the fire had not yet jumped to the adjoining hallway which is the only way out from the back bedrooms.
My mom is partially disabled requiring a walker and moves very slow and would not have been able to climb out of her bedroom window on her own had that hallway been blocked off with fire. So when I say that it is nothing but the Grace of God that my niece was there to help and that, the fire had not spread into the hallway, it is in fact, nothing short of His loving Grace. Words cannot express how very grateful and thankful I am to God for protecting my mom through this.
My mother worked for and retired from L.A County after 40 years of service and commitment. This was her retirement home that I was so honored to be able to help her find and purchase. She loved her home and took great pride in making it feel special, warm and welcoming to us all. Needless to say, the aftermath carries with it a tremendous sense of loss and complete disarray as me and my siblings and nieces came together to try to retrieve as much of her salvageable goods as possible, as well as what to do next for and with my mom.
Aside from our scuffling to try to maintain some sense of order in the midst of everything, what was most heart wrenching was the look of disappointment and helplessness on her face. She is not only displaced from her retirement dream but also from everything therein that made her feel independently accomplished.
Due to the severity of the fire, which not only burned down the entire kitchen and through the roof but also the adjoining bathroom, contractors estimate that the costs could be upwards of $30,000 and that it may take anywhere from 3-6 months to repair before she could even set foot back into her home.
The process has been pretty slow as an adjustor just came out yesterday to assess the damage. While we are hopeful that they will cover all of the damages as well as cover the cost of her furniture and personals, we are just not certain to what degree they will, due to the nature of how the fire was started.
The immediate challenge over the past few weeks has been with relocating her closer to me where I can better care for her. With the help of my dad I was able to find and get her into an Independent living community closer to me where I am better able to assist her with her day to day care; however, the cost for this is 3 times as much as her current mortgage payment which is impossible for her to sustain given she is on a fixed income and is still obligated to the mortgage and utilities on her home.
While my mom hopes to be able to return to her home in a few months, the reality is that we do not yet know how long this will take, but in the meantime, costs associated with this displacement are starting to build up.
This said, I am asking for any help toward the monthly cost of displacement we are currently incurring and expect for the next 6 months or so.
Thanks to all in advance for whatever help you are able to offer to support this cause.
Your support and prayers are greatly appreciated!
Sincerely,
Alonzo Johnson son of Lavonne Davis
As I write this I must admit that it is a very difficult thing for me to have to do. For one, it brings to memory the concern and emotions that gripped me when I first received the call late Sunday night December 20th 2020 from my niece, stating that my mom's house was on fire.
By nothing less than the sheer Grace of God, she and her newborn baby boy and my mother were able to get out safely. It turns out that my mom had left a pot of food cooking on the stove and had went back to her room and totally forgot. By the time the smoke detectors went off, the kitchen was fully engulfed in flames. The miracle in this all, is that although the kitchen was in full flare, the fire had not yet jumped to the adjoining hallway which is the only way out from the back bedrooms.
My mom is partially disabled requiring a walker and moves very slow and would not have been able to climb out of her bedroom window on her own had that hallway been blocked off with fire. So when I say that it is nothing but the Grace of God that my niece was there to help and that, the fire had not spread into the hallway, it is in fact, nothing short of His loving Grace. Words cannot express how very grateful and thankful I am to God for protecting my mom through this.
My mother worked for and retired from L.A County after 40 years of service and commitment. This was her retirement home that I was so honored to be able to help her find and purchase. She loved her home and took great pride in making it feel special, warm and welcoming to us all. Needless to say, the aftermath carries with it a tremendous sense of loss and complete disarray as me and my siblings and nieces came together to try to retrieve as much of her salvageable goods as possible, as well as what to do next for and with my mom.
Aside from our scuffling to try to maintain some sense of order in the midst of everything, what was most heart wrenching was the look of disappointment and helplessness on her face. She is not only displaced from her retirement dream but also from everything therein that made her feel independently accomplished.
Due to the severity of the fire, which not only burned down the entire kitchen and through the roof but also the adjoining bathroom, contractors estimate that the costs could be upwards of $30,000 and that it may take anywhere from 3-6 months to repair before she could even set foot back into her home.
The process has been pretty slow as an adjustor just came out yesterday to assess the damage. While we are hopeful that they will cover all of the damages as well as cover the cost of her furniture and personals, we are just not certain to what degree they will, due to the nature of how the fire was started.
The immediate challenge over the past few weeks has been with relocating her closer to me where I can better care for her. With the help of my dad I was able to find and get her into an Independent living community closer to me where I am better able to assist her with her day to day care; however, the cost for this is 3 times as much as her current mortgage payment which is impossible for her to sustain given she is on a fixed income and is still obligated to the mortgage and utilities on her home.
While my mom hopes to be able to return to her home in a few months, the reality is that we do not yet know how long this will take, but in the meantime, costs associated with this displacement are starting to build up.
This said, I am asking for any help toward the monthly cost of displacement we are currently incurring and expect for the next 6 months or so.
Thanks to all in advance for whatever help you are able to offer to support this cause.
Your support and prayers are greatly appreciated!
Sincerely,
Alonzo Johnson son of Lavonne Davis
Organizer
Alonzo Johnson
Organizer
Lancaster, CA