Put a Roof Over Their Heads!
Donation protected
Hello!
I am starting this GFM page to help my mom, step-dad, and younger brother Kyle. I believe this is a truly worthy cause to reach out and ask for your help with… My mom and step dad haven’t been in a place where going to find a job and working is really an option. As the winter rains and snow are very intense during the winter months where they live in Stayton, Oregon, areas of their roof have been in need of repair over the past few years, and now it's critical to replace it ASAP. If you would like to contribute to this need, even a small donation would help!
If you would like to read more about their story, follow along the timeline below… If you’d like to read about the need itself, scroll down to “THE NEED” under the timeline.
Timeline:
-March 2010: Mom is diagnosed with a medical condition that requires a major surgery on her neck vertebra, where she has to have a metal plate inserted. This ends her 30 year career as a travel agent, as she is no longer able to sit upright for long periods of time. She was able to qualify for temporary state disability, which provided her with a little aid to meet their most basic needs.
-August 2012: Mom is finally approved for permanent disability, after over two years of applying, writing letters, and finally having the opportunity to plead her case in front of a judge. They were living on very little and praying for things to work out.
-September 2012: Received a letter from social security, informing mom that her case had been pulled, and was being sent to Washington D.C. for reconsideration. This would bring any income that they had been waiting for to a halt.
-End of September 2012: After a few months of keeping their mortgage company informed during the disability approval process, they knew that eventually, the mortgage company wouldn’t hold off any longer. All of the programs that were available to help with financial aid weren’t available to owners of manufactured homes (which is what they were living in at the time).
Additionally, my Step-dad Lawrence, was informed that 250 full-time employees at his job were being let go to be replaced with part-time contract staff to save on costs for the Casino where he worked at for 3 ½ years and drove to each day over 100 miles roundtrip. Now all of a sudden they were almost homeless, with only the money from his last check. So they started to put things in storage with the help of a dear friend who knew the owner of the storage place who gave them a big discount. They knew they wouldn’t be able to get caught up on paying their mortgage.
-October 2012-March 2013: My family was essentially “homeless” and were living in a 1 bedroom apartment that they happened to apply for when they knew they would no longer be able to keep their home. This apartment complex was specifically for families without a home, and they were allowed a 6 month stay, while they figured out their next steps. This was a very trying time, but they were able to get a little help with food stamps and got by with the kindness of their neighbors.
-May 2013: My mom finally received her disability approval that she had been waiting for since 2010. Because it was approved retroactively, their initial payment was enough for them to purchase a modest modular home in a 50+ aged community in Stayton, OR. They could pay for it in full, and ensure their peace of mind that they would never be without a roof over their heads again.
-2014-2017: My mom experienced the loss of her mom, and son (my brother) within 3 months of each other. Lawrence was diagnosed with diabetes and began meeting with a doctor to help get his diabetes under control. His illness must have been happening longer than we originally thought since he started having medical issues and was referred to a urologist and then went into surgery in April 2017 to fix the problems he was experiencing. A couple days after he woke up from surgery, he was experiencing pain in his chest so he was rushed to the local hospital. It wasn’t a heart attack but they wanted to make sure all was okay. After doing a C-Scan the doctor informed us that he had a tumor on his right kidney, that would need to be removed. They had to travel back up to OHSU for an appointment to see another doctor. On June 9th he wasn’t feeling well so again my mom took him to the ER and we were told it wasn’t anything to be worried about that he should see his urologist as soon as possible. We were able to get in on Tuesday where he was examined by his doctor and immediately told that he was being admitted because he had a very serious infection that 80 percent of the patients that get this type of infection if left unattended pass away. He was in the hospital for almost 6 days hooked up to IV’s had emergency surgery to clear out the infected area of his body and to get his blood sugar levels down. Well it was finally time to have his kidney surgery which was on July 28, 2017. I’m happy to say that the surgeon was able to remove the tumor which ended up being cancerous. He will be having ongoing appointments along with more medications which are very expensive even after the insurance pays. Lawrence also just starting getting his disability which was expedited.
THE NEED:
All of this to say- My mom and step dad haven’t been in a place where going to find a job and working is really an option. As the winter rains and snow are very intense during the winter months where they live in Stayton, areas of their roof have been in need of repair over the past few years. Since they are on a fixed income, they have to be very careful with their budget and how they spend their money. With what little money they’ve had, they have been able to hire a local handyman to patch things up here and there. They’ve put tarps over their roof, but it’s not enough to keep the moisture out completely. This past September, my mom told me that she was starting to see cracks in her bathroom ceiling and bedroom ceiling, and water was beginning to leak in. I set up a consultation for her to meet with a local roof repairing company, just to get an idea of how much it would cost to replace her roof. They quoted her almost $17,000, because the damage was SO extensive, and areas of their roof were “spongy.” She knew that that was not an option, because there was no way they would ever be able to come by that kind of money. She did some research at Home Depot, and talked to the “pro desk” to see if they could help her figure out how much materials would cost. After they calculated everything, they figured out that roofing materials would be just under $3,000. They spoke with a local handyman, who has built roofs before, and he said he could do the labor portion for $3,000. This is why we are earnestly hoping to raise $6,000
I volunteered to help her get a “Go Fund Me” page started, because I truly believe this is a worthy reason to ask for help. We simply do not have the extra money to help her out and cover the cost of these repairs. We believe that there are people out there who can understand the sense of stability and peace that a “roof over your head” brings.. This is a family who is actually in dire need of a decent roof over their heads before the winter months come and they potentially lose everything to rain damage and/or mold damage.
We are hoping to raise these funds by November 10, 2017 (I know... it's close!!), so that they can have enough time to order their materials from Home Depot and get the project started before the winter gets really rough.
Any donation in any amount it greatly appreciated, and we are so honored that you would take the time to read this in consider this need.
Thank you so much!!
Donna, Lawrence, Kyle, and Danielle
I am starting this GFM page to help my mom, step-dad, and younger brother Kyle. I believe this is a truly worthy cause to reach out and ask for your help with… My mom and step dad haven’t been in a place where going to find a job and working is really an option. As the winter rains and snow are very intense during the winter months where they live in Stayton, Oregon, areas of their roof have been in need of repair over the past few years, and now it's critical to replace it ASAP. If you would like to contribute to this need, even a small donation would help!
If you would like to read more about their story, follow along the timeline below… If you’d like to read about the need itself, scroll down to “THE NEED” under the timeline.
Timeline:
-March 2010: Mom is diagnosed with a medical condition that requires a major surgery on her neck vertebra, where she has to have a metal plate inserted. This ends her 30 year career as a travel agent, as she is no longer able to sit upright for long periods of time. She was able to qualify for temporary state disability, which provided her with a little aid to meet their most basic needs.
-August 2012: Mom is finally approved for permanent disability, after over two years of applying, writing letters, and finally having the opportunity to plead her case in front of a judge. They were living on very little and praying for things to work out.
-September 2012: Received a letter from social security, informing mom that her case had been pulled, and was being sent to Washington D.C. for reconsideration. This would bring any income that they had been waiting for to a halt.
-End of September 2012: After a few months of keeping their mortgage company informed during the disability approval process, they knew that eventually, the mortgage company wouldn’t hold off any longer. All of the programs that were available to help with financial aid weren’t available to owners of manufactured homes (which is what they were living in at the time).
Additionally, my Step-dad Lawrence, was informed that 250 full-time employees at his job were being let go to be replaced with part-time contract staff to save on costs for the Casino where he worked at for 3 ½ years and drove to each day over 100 miles roundtrip. Now all of a sudden they were almost homeless, with only the money from his last check. So they started to put things in storage with the help of a dear friend who knew the owner of the storage place who gave them a big discount. They knew they wouldn’t be able to get caught up on paying their mortgage.
-October 2012-March 2013: My family was essentially “homeless” and were living in a 1 bedroom apartment that they happened to apply for when they knew they would no longer be able to keep their home. This apartment complex was specifically for families without a home, and they were allowed a 6 month stay, while they figured out their next steps. This was a very trying time, but they were able to get a little help with food stamps and got by with the kindness of their neighbors.
-May 2013: My mom finally received her disability approval that she had been waiting for since 2010. Because it was approved retroactively, their initial payment was enough for them to purchase a modest modular home in a 50+ aged community in Stayton, OR. They could pay for it in full, and ensure their peace of mind that they would never be without a roof over their heads again.
-2014-2017: My mom experienced the loss of her mom, and son (my brother) within 3 months of each other. Lawrence was diagnosed with diabetes and began meeting with a doctor to help get his diabetes under control. His illness must have been happening longer than we originally thought since he started having medical issues and was referred to a urologist and then went into surgery in April 2017 to fix the problems he was experiencing. A couple days after he woke up from surgery, he was experiencing pain in his chest so he was rushed to the local hospital. It wasn’t a heart attack but they wanted to make sure all was okay. After doing a C-Scan the doctor informed us that he had a tumor on his right kidney, that would need to be removed. They had to travel back up to OHSU for an appointment to see another doctor. On June 9th he wasn’t feeling well so again my mom took him to the ER and we were told it wasn’t anything to be worried about that he should see his urologist as soon as possible. We were able to get in on Tuesday where he was examined by his doctor and immediately told that he was being admitted because he had a very serious infection that 80 percent of the patients that get this type of infection if left unattended pass away. He was in the hospital for almost 6 days hooked up to IV’s had emergency surgery to clear out the infected area of his body and to get his blood sugar levels down. Well it was finally time to have his kidney surgery which was on July 28, 2017. I’m happy to say that the surgeon was able to remove the tumor which ended up being cancerous. He will be having ongoing appointments along with more medications which are very expensive even after the insurance pays. Lawrence also just starting getting his disability which was expedited.
THE NEED:
All of this to say- My mom and step dad haven’t been in a place where going to find a job and working is really an option. As the winter rains and snow are very intense during the winter months where they live in Stayton, areas of their roof have been in need of repair over the past few years. Since they are on a fixed income, they have to be very careful with their budget and how they spend their money. With what little money they’ve had, they have been able to hire a local handyman to patch things up here and there. They’ve put tarps over their roof, but it’s not enough to keep the moisture out completely. This past September, my mom told me that she was starting to see cracks in her bathroom ceiling and bedroom ceiling, and water was beginning to leak in. I set up a consultation for her to meet with a local roof repairing company, just to get an idea of how much it would cost to replace her roof. They quoted her almost $17,000, because the damage was SO extensive, and areas of their roof were “spongy.” She knew that that was not an option, because there was no way they would ever be able to come by that kind of money. She did some research at Home Depot, and talked to the “pro desk” to see if they could help her figure out how much materials would cost. After they calculated everything, they figured out that roofing materials would be just under $3,000. They spoke with a local handyman, who has built roofs before, and he said he could do the labor portion for $3,000. This is why we are earnestly hoping to raise $6,000
I volunteered to help her get a “Go Fund Me” page started, because I truly believe this is a worthy reason to ask for help. We simply do not have the extra money to help her out and cover the cost of these repairs. We believe that there are people out there who can understand the sense of stability and peace that a “roof over your head” brings.. This is a family who is actually in dire need of a decent roof over their heads before the winter months come and they potentially lose everything to rain damage and/or mold damage.
We are hoping to raise these funds by November 10, 2017 (I know... it's close!!), so that they can have enough time to order their materials from Home Depot and get the project started before the winter gets really rough.
Any donation in any amount it greatly appreciated, and we are so honored that you would take the time to read this in consider this need.
Thank you so much!!
Donna, Lawrence, Kyle, and Danielle
Organizer
Danielle Roberts
Organizer
Stayton, OR
