Help Lynsey and John Recover from Fire

If you are able, please donate and/or share to help one of the kindest and most selfless human beings on the planet. Lynsey and her family have suffered a devastating loss and we want to organize an effort to help.

Lynsey is a dear friend to both Jeff and me, going back to elementary school. She is a deeply loyal friend who is there for you when no one else is. To know her is to love her. She is a lifelong member of the Church of Christ and leads by example by being of service to others. She is a social worker for the Choctaw Nation, working with children, and has positively affected more lives than we know.

Last June, she and her fiancé, John, unexpectedly received full custody of his 5 small children. Lynsey, as is her nature, did not run from this daunting task but embraced it. The 7 of them have been making it work in a small 2-bedroom, 1-bathroom home. They have been planning and saving to build a larger home.

Over the last year, they had been gathering furniture and essentials for when the time came. They rented a storage shed in Calera, OK to hold beds, couches, TVs, and a lot of personal items they just didn’t have space for—including her late grandmother’s dresser, John’s lineman tools and gear from 15 years of work, and so much more. They worked hard all year to find those items at a discount because naturally, caring for a family of 7 is expensive.

Last Thursday night, the storage shed caught fire and they lost everything. They were told it looks like someone tried to break into their shed by using the shed next door and set the fire to cover it up. One of the more devastating aspects is John’s lineman tools and gear. His climbing gear alone cost $5,000, and the box he kept it in was $350—something they saved up for just last year. The tools in the shed were worth well over $10,000 to $15,000. Without these tools, John can’t get a job. That makes providing for a family of 7 that much more difficult. He spent 15 years building up that collection, and in an instant, it’s all gone.

Now if you know Lynsey, you know she would give you the shirt off her back even if it were her only shirt. You would also know she can be a bit stubborn when it comes to her own needs and has difficulty asking for and receiving help. Through gentle persuasion, I am grateful she has allowed me to set this up for them.

I know we can’t replace everything, but please join us in helping this sweet family recoup at least some of the loss. Let’s show Lynsey and her family how much she means to us and help one of the most deserving people on the planet during a time of need.

Lynsey will receive all funds directly and we plan to further donate the GoFundMe service charges/percentages so she gets 100% of the amount donated.