Help fund recovery after the Brandywine Floods
UPDATE 09/07 - This recovery has been nothing short of an emotional roller-coaster, but because of all of you - friends, family and those we have not even met yet - we have been (literally) crying happy tears today. Your generosity means more than we can ever say.
We are going to keep the momentum going and keep the fundraiser live. Whatever is contributed in excess of dads recovery will be donated to the members of Cabin Club Lane, the beautiful community down by the river. There are a lot of needs down there, so however much you can help is GREATLY appreciated. We love you all so much. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you - Jonathan, Nathan, Jason, Denis.
Hi, my name is Jonathan Hare and I am hoping to help my dad, Denis Hare, rebuild his life after historic flooding in Chester County, PA nearly destroyed his entire home.
Two decades ago, he moved into the little house of his dreams on Cabin Club Lane, along the Brandywine River. Dad has always loved having people come to the river. He wants people to have fun and operates his life with an open door policy. Can't tell you how many times I've heard him tell a person to stop by anytime they want to and grab a canoe from him, even if he wasn't there, even if it was someone he had just met five minutes prior.
He's one of those special people in this world and through his generous spirit thousands of people have created fond memories at his home. Whether they'd come to sit around a fire at night, go for a swim, take a canoe out or have a bit of a party, my dad opened his home every single time. A few people, including myself, have even met our spouses there on the river. It's very special to our family that we have these memories with the wonderful people in our lives.
Unfortunately, last Thursday my dad had to shelter on the second floor with his dog, Copper, and watch the flooded waters of the Brandywine River come 42 inches high into his home. (Despite raising his home 18 inches above what *was* considered the "1,000 year flood level".) Throughout the night he raced up and down the stairs trying to save anything he could, until the danger of going back down again became too great. Helplessly, he saw almost everything in his life wash away, or become saturated with mud and destroyed. Hard to imagine what he and his neighbors experienced that night.
We are so thankful that he is safe, however he still needs a lot of help. In the last 4 days we've ripped out all his drywall, insulation, dragged every appliance and piece of furniture outside to hopefully dry or wait for a dumpster to arrive. Friends have come to the community's aid and alongside our family they have bought fans, heaters, cleaning supplies, generators, dehumidifiers, food, water and so much more. We're forever in their debt.
We don't know exactly what will need to be done or what it will cost, but if you can spare anything for my dad it will really help him. Thank you so much. Love, the Hare family.
