Foundation Collapse Leads to Loss of Home of 47 yr

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#kingsburyhope

Hello, my name is Wendy Robinson. This GoFundMe was created for my parents, Fred and Linda Kingsbury (77) of Springfield, Vermont. Please consider a donation of any amount to help them through this difficult time.

In April of 2022 my step-father, Fred, had finished three months of cancer treatment at Dartmouth Medical Center. This meant traveling 80 miles, five days a week for three months. So one can imagine the relief on the last day of treatment. Life could slow down and Fred could begin to heal. Yet, two months later, in June, the rock foundation behind their home, washed away beneath their feet.

It began on a typical morning after a trip to the local recycling center. The assistant fire chief came to report how someone had witnessed a section of their foundation collapsing into the Black River. It was described as a "sinkhole with everything falling into it." Electricity was disconnected and an unsafe building order was put in place. Home for them became a small camper in their beloved backyard.

Within a month, demolition and cleanup proposals for the back section of the house landed at well over $100,000, not including the high costs to rehab the existing structure. These costs far exceeded the value of the home and homeowners insurance was not an option. It became clear that Fred & Linda could not afford to fix their home.

The camper has been home and "headquarters" these past four months well into the chilly month of October; a place for making countless phone calls to utilities, inspectors, engineers, storage facilities, trash contractors, attorneys, as well as family & friends. Helping my parents sort through a lifetime of belongings while coming to terms with leaving their home of 47 years has been heartbreaking on so many levels. Yet, watching these amazing people rise to the daily challenges of their new reality has been incredibly inspiring and heartwarming.

My parents have always shown tremendous compassion and love for others, especially those in need, very often being generous beyond their means. They're active in their community and despite all that's going on, even participated in this year's annual Trunk-or-Treat event in Springfield!

They are honest, hardworking, and humble people who are going through considerable hardship. Please consider making a donation of any amount to help ease their heavy burden as they continue to make sense of this complex and new reality.

Finding storage and emptying the house remains a daunting and expensive undertaking with a deadline. 100% of the funds will be used by Fred & Linda to navigate their complex situation. Your support and prayers mean so much to our family.

Thankfully, my parents are now spending the colder months with a local family member while they continue to work at the house.

My prayer is for continued health, that this hardship will end soon and that my parents will one day find a home where they can enjoy gatherings with family and friends once again.

God Bless each and every one of you!

Wendy Robinson

#kingsburyhope