This past Thursday, my daughter Grace got a wrong-number phone call from a man named Benson.
He had been trying to reach FEMA.
He reached her company instead, FINA Consulting, because the names sound almost identical over the phone.
He was in trouble.
Benson is a retired Leon County Schools employee. He’s disabled, and he lives with and takes care of his younger brother, who is two years younger than him.
A while back, the utility pole on Benson’s property started leaning on a fence. The pole was the connection point between his house and the city’s electrical system.
The city told him he had to repair it himself before they would restore service. He didn’t know how. He didn’t have the money. He didn’t know who to call.
So he called FEMA.
The city of Tallahassee disconnected his power on Wednesday.
By the time Grace got the call from Benson on Thursday, he and his brother had been without electricity for over 24 hours in 95-degree Florida heat. No air conditioning. No way to refrigerate food. No way to keep medication cold. No way to drink cold water.
Two brothers, one taking care of the other, sitting in a hot house with no way to help themselves.
Grace called me.
I’m her mom, and I’ve spent my career in social work and community service. I went straight to Benson’s house with food, water, and supplies.
What I found was a man who is mentally sharp, articulate, and clearly disabled, doing his best to care for his brother in conditions no one should have to live in. I posted about Benson’s situation on Facebook.
Within hours, the Tallahassee community showed up. Mike Cote at Tallahassee Electrical Services, the husband of one of my friends, volunteered to do the entire utility pole repair for free.
Tim Mosley, a friend who runs The Less Fortunate Still Matters Foundation, came to meet Benson and offer support.
The Tallahassee Democrat and ABC 27 are covering the story. As of 5 PM Friday, just over 30 hours after Grace took that wrong-number phone call, Benson and his brother have power again.
But Benson’s story isn’t over.
He still needs help. He has medical needs. His brother has needs. Ongoing utility costs. Home repair needs beyond just the pole. Basic living expenses that were already stretched thin before this happened.
He is the kind of person who falls through the cracks of every system designed to help him, because he is too busy taking care of someone else.
This GoFundMe is to give Benson and his brother a real cushion.
Money for medication. Money for food. Money for the home repairs the house desperately needs. Money for the dignity of not having to call a stranger looking for FEMA the next time something goes wrong.
If you’ve ever wondered whether one phone call can change someone’s life, this is that story.
A wrong number became the right number because Grace picked up and listened.
The Tallahassee community did the rest.
Please help us finish what we started. Every dollar goes directly to Benson and his brother.
Thank you.
Julia & Grace
He had been trying to reach FEMA.
He reached her company instead, FINA Consulting, because the names sound almost identical over the phone.
He was in trouble.
Benson is a retired Leon County Schools employee. He’s disabled, and he lives with and takes care of his younger brother, who is two years younger than him.
A while back, the utility pole on Benson’s property started leaning on a fence. The pole was the connection point between his house and the city’s electrical system.
The city told him he had to repair it himself before they would restore service. He didn’t know how. He didn’t have the money. He didn’t know who to call.
So he called FEMA.
The city of Tallahassee disconnected his power on Wednesday.
By the time Grace got the call from Benson on Thursday, he and his brother had been without electricity for over 24 hours in 95-degree Florida heat. No air conditioning. No way to refrigerate food. No way to keep medication cold. No way to drink cold water.
Two brothers, one taking care of the other, sitting in a hot house with no way to help themselves.
Grace called me.
I’m her mom, and I’ve spent my career in social work and community service. I went straight to Benson’s house with food, water, and supplies.
What I found was a man who is mentally sharp, articulate, and clearly disabled, doing his best to care for his brother in conditions no one should have to live in. I posted about Benson’s situation on Facebook.
Within hours, the Tallahassee community showed up. Mike Cote at Tallahassee Electrical Services, the husband of one of my friends, volunteered to do the entire utility pole repair for free.
Tim Mosley, a friend who runs The Less Fortunate Still Matters Foundation, came to meet Benson and offer support.
The Tallahassee Democrat and ABC 27 are covering the story. As of 5 PM Friday, just over 30 hours after Grace took that wrong-number phone call, Benson and his brother have power again.
But Benson’s story isn’t over.
He still needs help. He has medical needs. His brother has needs. Ongoing utility costs. Home repair needs beyond just the pole. Basic living expenses that were already stretched thin before this happened.
He is the kind of person who falls through the cracks of every system designed to help him, because he is too busy taking care of someone else.
This GoFundMe is to give Benson and his brother a real cushion.
Money for medication. Money for food. Money for the home repairs the house desperately needs. Money for the dignity of not having to call a stranger looking for FEMA the next time something goes wrong.
If you’ve ever wondered whether one phone call can change someone’s life, this is that story.
A wrong number became the right number because Grace picked up and listened.
The Tallahassee community did the rest.
Please help us finish what we started. Every dollar goes directly to Benson and his brother.
Thank you.
Julia & Grace
Organizer
