Help Alysia Rebuild Her Home After Fire

My name is Alysia. I recently bought a home in Castroville where my mom, two dogs, and I have begun to make a new place to call home. I had recently redone the floors, reshingled the roof of my garage, built stairs, built a garden, added limestone to my driveway, built a cobblestone path alongside the house, and poured countless hours of my blood, sweat, tears, and so much more to make this a place to call my own. I was learning that I was capable of more than I ever knew I was. Then, in the blink of an eye, after a shower, I heard popping and crackling, looked out onto the patio, and saw flames! I ran to get my mom and pups to safety, tried to put the fire out with an extinguisher, but it was too much and so very fast. The flames overwhelmed the patio, and the heat it produced was unimaginable to breathe. I had no choice but to run. Manned in only a bathrobe and flip-flops, I called 911, alerted neighbors, and by this time, passersby had stopped to bear witness, because what else could you do? Neighbors hugged me and prayed with me. Firefighters bravely took on the flames (and me screaming at them to give me a suit, a mask, and a hose) (sorry guys! ) and eventually they won! However, my home has suffered unknown and unimaginable damages and an almost total loss of the things inside. I must state though gratefully that my mom, two dogs, and I made it out unharmed by the flames, thank God, the universe, Buddha, Yahweh, whomever you believe to be the source and creator of all that we know. What’s lost is only stuff, I have to remember… But it is memories, pictures, a piano, and simply love passed from generations before me which we will miss more than I know in this moment. I’m humbled and grateful and know that this will only teach/reteach me things I need to know to be a better person, daughter, cousin, friend, neighbor, etc. Due to loopholes and insurance companies not wanting to pay out claims, I can’t count on them to take care of us, so I’m humbly asking for help. (Which I don’t really know how to do) All I can say and ask is please and thank you. As tears roll down my face as I write this because I hate to ask anything from anyone. My joy as a teacher (band director) has been doing for those in my life. To ask anything from anyone is… foreign to me.

Something else I’ve learned already, people, when given the opportunity, have the capacity to be truly beautiful. I’m humbled and in awe of the love, kindness, strength, and generosity in the people I’ve been so fortunate to encounter since this tragedy occurred. Reality is settling in and I can’t afford to rebuild our lives without help. Nor can I afford to provide my mom, dogs, and I a place to lay our heads in the meantime. My neighbor has taken us in and been beyond kind and generous in opening her home. She serves in the army and is being stationed to the northeast United States and is leaving at the end of the month. She and her mother have offered that we can rent her home next door, which will allow me close proximity as I pull things from my home to try and salvage any little bit I can. Wash and clean things off from soot and debris, and begin to rebuild, quite literally, piece by piece. I promised to take care of her home and property if we were able to stay. Regardless of the amount or avenue in which support is shown, if you can help us fix our home so we can live in it again, we would greatly appreciate it. If you know me, I will do all that I can to repay you for your kindness and will always be there if you need a helping hand! Thank you in advance for simply hearing my story. Feeling the feels and flood of emotions, which can be hard to accept and/or take on for ourselves let alone others… Please know that you are changing my life and I will be forever grateful. From this, I will be stronger, I will be better, and I will pass on the love and kindness shown to me, to others in every way that I can. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. May God bless you and yours.