Deborah's Home Invasion Recovery

While my mother was away for two weeks in June getting her van repaired, her house was broken into (for the second time in two years) and most things of value were stolen. They took most of her tools, family heirlooms, and jewelry (since my mother is a stonecutter and makes cabochons of gems, and her entire collection and stock for selling was taken, about $50,000 worth retail.) And she doesn't have insurance. But my mother isn't the type to waste time mourning what is lost, and she feels at peace with letting go of most of the material possessions in her life. 

My mother leads a minimal life alone in Murphy, North Carolina, remote from most of the world. She likes it that way and doesn't have much, and is proud of not needing much. She is tough as nails and would never ask for help, but I know that she is feeling stuck in that home. After her mother passed, she took her inheritance and built a small cabin but didn't have the interior finished because she couldn't afford it and she wanted to do it herself. Well, almost 15 years later she still can't afford it, and she hasn't been able to complete the work alone.  Now she feels like she can't sell her half-finished home and have enough money to get something equivalent in another, safer, town.

I would like to help my mother finish a few of the projects that are keeping her from getting out of her situation, so if you know of anyone in the area with building materials or labor to donate to help finish the hearth around the fireplace, complete a stone floor, pressure wash and paint the exterior of the house, tile the shower and bathroom, screen the porch, or fix some problems with the plumbing.

Also, the tools that she misses most are a chainsaw and a dremel, if anyone has an extra or one they could part with. At the very least, I'd love to help her get a security system put in place, even if there is nothing left to take.