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LEGITIMATE FUNDRAISER: Fundraiser being hosted by Dottie Perham-Whittier from Maine. This is a fundraiser for my cousin and family in Texas.
2/20/21: Chelsea--my sweet, beautiful cousin--has had more than her share of devastation in her life. A childhood cancer survivor and a survivor of a horrific, abusive marriage, her life was FINALLY in a happy place.
She and her second husband, Eric, have four girls between them, and they have worked very hard at their love story. However, on 2/19/21, they experienced a fire on their property, their homestead livelihood was ruined, beloved animals lost in the fire, and their children are emotionally devastated. Chelsea says she thinks she's in shock, and Eric says the sadness is beyond words.
They have worked tirelessly to establish a small family homestead and have been raising chickens, quail, ducks, goats and sheep. It was a dream come true when they were able to move to a small ranch in Texas in July 2020 and get started! Chelsea says, "We have been blissfully happy doing the hard work of establishing a working ranch/farm."
On 2/19/21, after spending hours around the clock making sure all of their animals were safe and warm during the unexpected Texas weather, their barn somehow caught fire! Chelsea & Eric believe it may have been a faulty heat lamp or wiring. They tried to save their animals--which their children simply adored--but the sheriff kept them from going in. The animals were stuck and too scared to make their way out.
Chelsea was screaming and crying, which terrified her daughters, and two of their little ones--one barefoot in the snow--tried to run into the barn to save their pets, while calling their names. Their oldest started praying for the peace of Jesus. Chelsea notes, "It was the most horrific thing I’ve ever had to stand by and watch. Our girls were screaming for the animals to try and come out."
Their goats were Nigerian Dwarf goats that provided milk, including usage for goats milk soap. They also raised sheep and spun wool and were striving to grow the homestead into a larger business. Their goat Clara had just had twin Doelings 6 weeks ago, and the family loved playing with them every day. Their goat Matilda was pregnant and was due in April. Their sweet sheep, who always loved to cuddle, would have been ready for sheering in March 2021.
In total, Chelsea, Eric, and the girls lost 6 goats (plus the baby that was going to be born) and 3 sheep. Their worth is irreplaceable emotionally. Their monetary value was about $2,300. The milk brought in $240 monthly. The fleeces for spinning would be anywhere from $500 as roving or more as yarn.
AND THEN THERE'S THE BARN - TOTALLY GONE - a value of at least $75,000--for which they had no insurance!!! They had been talking about getting insurance, but they hadn't gotten that far yet. In addition, they lost all of their bikes, tool chests and ladders, as well as family heirlooms, pictures and keepsakes - gut-wrenching!
The family is completely devastated. As clean up started today, Chelsea said the bodies of the animals they loved so deeply were found, and she added, "Watching the fire and knowing we couldn’t do a thing to help was so incredibly painful. Our girls are a mess--a complete mess."
PHOTOS BELOW:
2/20/21: Chelsea--my sweet, beautiful cousin--has had more than her share of devastation in her life. A childhood cancer survivor and a survivor of a horrific, abusive marriage, her life was FINALLY in a happy place.
She and her second husband, Eric, have four girls between them, and they have worked very hard at their love story. However, on 2/19/21, they experienced a fire on their property, their homestead livelihood was ruined, beloved animals lost in the fire, and their children are emotionally devastated. Chelsea says she thinks she's in shock, and Eric says the sadness is beyond words.
They have worked tirelessly to establish a small family homestead and have been raising chickens, quail, ducks, goats and sheep. It was a dream come true when they were able to move to a small ranch in Texas in July 2020 and get started! Chelsea says, "We have been blissfully happy doing the hard work of establishing a working ranch/farm."
On 2/19/21, after spending hours around the clock making sure all of their animals were safe and warm during the unexpected Texas weather, their barn somehow caught fire! Chelsea & Eric believe it may have been a faulty heat lamp or wiring. They tried to save their animals--which their children simply adored--but the sheriff kept them from going in. The animals were stuck and too scared to make their way out.
Chelsea was screaming and crying, which terrified her daughters, and two of their little ones--one barefoot in the snow--tried to run into the barn to save their pets, while calling their names. Their oldest started praying for the peace of Jesus. Chelsea notes, "It was the most horrific thing I’ve ever had to stand by and watch. Our girls were screaming for the animals to try and come out."
Their goats were Nigerian Dwarf goats that provided milk, including usage for goats milk soap. They also raised sheep and spun wool and were striving to grow the homestead into a larger business. Their goat Clara had just had twin Doelings 6 weeks ago, and the family loved playing with them every day. Their goat Matilda was pregnant and was due in April. Their sweet sheep, who always loved to cuddle, would have been ready for sheering in March 2021.
In total, Chelsea, Eric, and the girls lost 6 goats (plus the baby that was going to be born) and 3 sheep. Their worth is irreplaceable emotionally. Their monetary value was about $2,300. The milk brought in $240 monthly. The fleeces for spinning would be anywhere from $500 as roving or more as yarn.
AND THEN THERE'S THE BARN - TOTALLY GONE - a value of at least $75,000--for which they had no insurance!!! They had been talking about getting insurance, but they hadn't gotten that far yet. In addition, they lost all of their bikes, tool chests and ladders, as well as family heirlooms, pictures and keepsakes - gut-wrenching!
The family is completely devastated. As clean up started today, Chelsea said the bodies of the animals they loved so deeply were found, and she added, "Watching the fire and knowing we couldn’t do a thing to help was so incredibly painful. Our girls are a mess--a complete mess."
PHOTOS BELOW:
Organizer and beneficiary
Chelsea Rivers
Beneficiary