Donation protected
I met Dawn and Joel on New Years Day at the Embassy Suites evening reception. Dawn overheard my husband and I talking about the fire and asked us if we'd lost our home too. When she heard our answer, she jumped from her seat and asked if she could hug us (of course).
Many of us families staying here had/have been walking around in a daze, trying to form coherent sentences and make sense of what has happened. Dawn was the first 'stranger' I connected with here. A few evening receptions and lobby run-ins later, I realize how lucky I am- and our community is- to have people like Dawn and Joel here.
Dawn and Joel had lived in their home near Harper Lake in Louisville for over 30 years.
Harper Lake has a special place in many local's hearts. There is a wonderful (almost exactly) 1 mile walking path around the lake, and gorgeous views of the Boulder Valley and Continental Divide.
On December 30, Dawn and Joel were initially evacuated from the Louisville Recreation Center. They went home, only to be evacuated again within minutes. This fire was unprecedented in it's speed and destruction. They only had time to grab their phones, laptops, medications, and the proverbial clothes on their backs.
Over our conversations these past 10 days, I've learned just a little bit of how this fire has affected them. It's difficult to describe these conversations unless you've experienced this. We go back and forth sharing stories of our families/ancestors and each story brings up a memory of something that the fire stole from us, forever.
Dawn had artwork from her father in her home. Gorgeous, one of a kind artwork that was meant to be passed on to her children. Family legacy- gone. Letters that presidents had written to her father, in a box in her home- are now ash.
"Stuff" can be replaced, but we are gradually remembering the priceless family heirlooms and documents that are now lost forever.
Dawn and Joel are here in the hotel trying to figure out their next chapter. Rebuilding is a daunting task in this market that was not so wild 30 years ago when they moved in. Supply chain cost increases and an already pinched housing market has left so many effectively underinsured and wondering how to make themselves whole again.
Please help ease this stress on Dawn and Joel and help restore their family legacy.
If you don't know Dawn and Joel, may you be lucky enough to meet a couple so kind and caring.
Organizer and beneficiary
Wendy Wyss
Organizer
Louisville, CO
Dawn Paluch
Beneficiary