Debi & Dave Lost Everything...

Imagine losing nearly everything…

I have never before reached out to ask for help for myself or anyone else. But I’m compelled to do so on behalf of my very dear, long-time friends Debi and Dave Carlson. 

You see, Harvey flooded their home and they have lost so much.


This is a picture from before they were evacuated...now the home has over two feet of standing water inside.

Debi and Dave have faced some extremely difficult times together, but this one tops them all. They no longer have youth on their side and recovering from this will be a long hard climb.

They moved to Texas to help Debi’s aging parents. Debi and Dave bought the parent’s older home so they could move into an apartment and escape the upkeep.

Dave, being a cabinetmaker by trade, worked to restore the property. They sunk  thousands into the renovation.

And before they had time to rest, Harvey strikes…

After having been rescued by boat, their home is now soaked with over two feet of standing water.

New carpet? Destroyed.

Cabinets and furniture? Water logged.

Cars? Total losses.

Dave’s tools? God only knows.

Flood insurance you ask? None. They were told FEMA didn’t require it and like 80% of Harvey’s other victims, they didn’t have any.

FEMA help? It could take years and even then, the Washington Post states “The grants, intended to help residents rebuild homes and cover hotel stays until permanent housing is available, are capped at $33,300. Most receive significantly less.”

So what now?

Debi, Dave, their cat and dog are currently staying with friends of friends who have graciously opened their home to them for the short term. They are over an hour from their flooded home, which is located in Houston, TX.

With no transportation, getting back to try to salvage anything or protect what’s left from looters is nearly impossible.

UPDATE: as of now, FEMA has provided a few weeks of temporary housing closer to where their home is located. 

Worse yet, Debi and Dave will be displaced forever.
You see, the water won’t recede for a long time because they are continuing to release water from the reservoirs. And when the water does recede, the home will likely be a condemned and bulldozed.

UPDATE: It appears that the homes in their neighborhood are not going to be condemed but there is severe damage to the homes and it will take a huge effort to clear out the damage and rebuild.

Here's a collage of some pictures of the damage to their home.


They’re trying to grasp what life has thrown them and all they have left are the shirts on their backs.

UPDATE: They've been able to collect their clothes from the home, wash them in a laundrymat and salvage most of the clothes. Yay!

Bad things happen to good people, but we can help…

So I’m asking you to help me help them. You can give to solid organizations like the Red Cross and let them decide who gets what, if anything.

Or, you can give directly to someone like Debi and Dave who will immediately receive your gift.

Here’s how you can make a difference:

- If you can find it in your heart to give cash, please give what you can.  Debi and Dave will use your gift to help them rebuild their life, repair their home and purchase much of what was lost.

- Please, please, please… share this with all of your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram friends/followers.

- Ask your church or other groups to make an announcement or share on their social media platforms.

Thank you from the depths of my heart for reading this far and for any help you are able to offer. 

The faster you can act, the better. We all know that good intentions get pushed "below the fold" and lost in a flood of email or Facebook timelines.

So please act now!

With gratitude,
Ree Klein
Orange County, CA

Update: After the outpouring of support and prayers, Debi and Dave recorded this short video to try to express their thanks to all of you. It was texted to me so please excuse the poor quality.



There's still more to do...so please continue to share their story!