Desperate times call for desperate measures and every little bit will help. My name is Michelle.  I am a single mother of five and have been on disability due to a chronic back condition for the last 16 years. I recently got divorced and regrettably money has been really tight of late. The roof on my home has started to fall apart and we really need help funding the repairs as all the programs I have applied for keep falling through. Unfortunately, I cannot get homeowners insurance until the work is completed as it is a preexisting condition from when we bought the house. I thought I had finally found a contractor willing to do the work, and I applied for a home repair loan through Rural Development. After six months of working through the red tape, the contractor no longer has time to take on the job. To make matters worse the loan officer called me the next week to inform me that I was not approved for the loan due to my eldest child's student loans making my debt-to-income ratio too high. To top it off, I then received a call stating my disability benefits (my only source of income) were terminated that same day. 

I am aware the amount seems pretty high for a roof, please let me explain the whole situation.  The amount requested is what was quoted from the contractor, the only contractor that actually got up on the roof to assess the full extent of the damage.  ( I have included a copy of the contractors estimate to verify the amount ).  I have a very large roof and the entire roof needs to be torn off and completely redone.  The plywood (or whatever they use) under 5 layers  of shingles is completely disintegrated over most of the roof.  The chimney from the roof up is crumbling and needs to be removed.  There needs to be ridge vents put in at the highest peak of the house and replaced in the lower section.  The gutters have to be replaced all the way around the house.  This quote does not even cover any water damage that may be under the roof due to leakage.  The roof leaks in my kitchen, bathroom, & cellarway every time it rains or snowmelts; the light in my bathroom no longer works due to the moisture in the ceiling, and the ceiling in my cellarway is about to collapse from wet insulation. It is really a tough situation at the moment and I'm not sure how long the roof will hold up in this condition. On top of the water damage, mold has already started to form, and I'm concerned about the health of my family if it continues. In the meantime, I have no income, and my roof is getting worse. I have reached the point of desperation and see no other way to get my roof repaired. If you could find it in your heart to make a small donation and help us move towards making our home the one my children deserve, we would in our hearts be forever grateful.





Kindest Regards,
Michelle