Earthquake Relief Rebuild Fund for Rachael & Chad

Rachael, Chad, and Jaxon (age 10) live in Rio Dell. Like many people in Humboldt, the recent giant earthquake shook them up quite a bit.

While many people in northern CA experienced loss in this shaker and went without power for days, this family lost an entire wall- the front of their house is now open and exposed to the elements.

Jaxon is pretty terrified , it’s quite traumatic to watch your house crumble as a kid. Not only does his house have a giant hole in it- his town is still under a boil notice. Pretty big stuff to grapple as a child.

Unfortunately, FEMA is not going to lend any funds to the victims of this earthquake (The Humboldt community didn't reach the $65 million minimum FEMA requires). And if you are new to earthquake country, you might be thinking, what about earthquake insurance? It's a valid question but most of us don't have it because it's costly and the deductibles are so huge they rarely cover much.

Funding or not, this wall must be replaced. They will need to pull permits, hire a contractor, possibly hire an engineer, get materials, and pay for labor. How do they pay for all of this?

That’s where we come in- friends, family and community. Chad and Rachael are the first to jump up and help anyone in the community that needs it.

I have known Rachael for 25+ years and watched her quietly help, give, and volunteer time and time again. I have never once heard her ask for help.

I knew things were bad when I heard Rach crying on the phone- she rarely cries unless it is for others. I asked Rachael if I could start a GoFundMe for her.

She said no (three times in fact) but after her family received the latest estimate of $10,000 to repair the damage, she finally relented after giving a condition that if by any chance the funds received are more than the repairs- the extra go to the Rio Dell Volunteer Fire Department.

On top of a wall-less house and a $10,000 repair, this month brought some other tough news and a family loss... safe to say, these three need our support. Any amount helps!

The great Mr. Rogers once said, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”

Giving to this cause is more than an opportunity to help a family in need and make a little boy feel safe in his home again- it is our time to step up and help a helper that has never before asked for support.