My name is Molly Jeffries. My Dad, David Jeffries, came to Australia from England in 1980 with nothing but a suitcase, and since then has worked and saved and finally was able to buy his dream property, 35 acres just outside of Harcourt.

He has spent the last 15 years lovingly repairing and renovating this house himself, buying secondhand doors and offcuts of flooring to create a home he is so proud of. His granddaughter loves to visit and run around the dam with her Poppa, and he loves to host barbecues with his many friends he’s made since moving to the area.

On the 9th of January at 3pm he received an alert to evacuate immediately. He just had time to throw some clothes into the back of his 20 year old camper and left. That’s the last he saw of his house. It, and all of his belongings, were completely destroyed by the Ravenswood fire. Once again, he has nothing but a suitcase.

He has lost family paintings, heirlooms, artworks and memories from when his children were young, photos from his amazing life, antique furniture, his record collection and so many other treasured possessions.

With the climbing costs of insurance and the cost of living crisis, his house was uninsured. He has no super, having been self employed most of his life. He survives on the pension, and is now homeless just before his 70th birthday.

He has never asked for help from anyone, and is the most generous person I know. We are so glad he is safe but if you can contribute anything to help him get by, replace his belongings, pay for accommodation and make some new memories with his family we would be so grateful.