Chester Family Flood Damages
Donation protected
On Sunday, May 17th, the Muskegon area, as well as much of West Michigan, was hit with heavy rains and flooding. The city declared a local state of emergency as waters swept through buildings and homes, and obliterated some high-traffic roads. Unfortunately, Rachel and Phil's house was in the path of destruction.
Read about the flooding in West Michigan
Rachel and Phil, and their son Warren, have lived in this home since Warren was a baby. As Warren grew, plus the addition of two cats, Rachel and Phil had been working on saving for renovations and a down payment on their next home. The family was even planning on saving for a trip to Disney next year - which would have been a first for both Rachel and Warren.
In the blink of an eye, these plans have gone out the window. The house as it stands is uninhabitable and will be until it's fixed - if it's possible. The basement has almost a foot of water, and the main floor has several inches. The only part of the house that is dry is the master bedroom on the second floor. This means everything in the kitchen, dining room, and Warren's bedroom is at risk. The family is working on salvaging what they can, but won't know the full extent of damages for some time.
They do know this; options are limited. As the flood waters continue to wreak havoc on the area, they learned their insurance won't cover the loss. The city's solution to residents who are affected is to offer a low interest loan up to 40% of what insurance won't cover - which in their case, is nothing. With that, the family will either need to repair the damages and sell the house at a loss, or foreclose. Neither option is desirable, but as most of us know, foreclosure is the last resort.
We're raising money to help avoid that last resort.
All donations will go directly to Phil and Rachel to help with repairs, inspections, storage units, replacements, materials, and future housing.
Read about the flooding in West Michigan
Rachel and Phil, and their son Warren, have lived in this home since Warren was a baby. As Warren grew, plus the addition of two cats, Rachel and Phil had been working on saving for renovations and a down payment on their next home. The family was even planning on saving for a trip to Disney next year - which would have been a first for both Rachel and Warren.
In the blink of an eye, these plans have gone out the window. The house as it stands is uninhabitable and will be until it's fixed - if it's possible. The basement has almost a foot of water, and the main floor has several inches. The only part of the house that is dry is the master bedroom on the second floor. This means everything in the kitchen, dining room, and Warren's bedroom is at risk. The family is working on salvaging what they can, but won't know the full extent of damages for some time.
They do know this; options are limited. As the flood waters continue to wreak havoc on the area, they learned their insurance won't cover the loss. The city's solution to residents who are affected is to offer a low interest loan up to 40% of what insurance won't cover - which in their case, is nothing. With that, the family will either need to repair the damages and sell the house at a loss, or foreclose. Neither option is desirable, but as most of us know, foreclosure is the last resort.
We're raising money to help avoid that last resort.
All donations will go directly to Phil and Rachel to help with repairs, inspections, storage units, replacements, materials, and future housing.
Organizer and beneficiary
Andrea Guerrero
Organizer
Muskegon, MI
Phil Chester
Beneficiary
