Help Ralph Anybody Go Home

Ralph Anybody is the morning voice of KPIG radio and when I heard what happened to Ralphie and Ellen’s house I knew they needed our help. - Richard

Here’s their story…

We have all said it.  "Wow, that could have happened to us." This time it did happen to us.

From Ellen’s journal: January 19, 2021, was windy. Most of our community was without power. The sun came up, the wind bent the redwoods on the horizon. As I watched (and prayed) I felt our big oak tree shove against the porch roof, moving the walls.

At 7:30 AM, the tree wrenched through the porch roof, splitting the living room wall. I found myself standing, looking out the glass of the door I saw the tree on the rubble along the house, on the car and across the street. I smelled gas, leashed the dogs, ran out the back door and down the neighbor’s steps, calling 911 on my way down the hill to my family’s house down the street. Wow.

Jeff aka Ralph Anybody: I was on the air @ KPIG radio. We were talking about the wind, all these houses and all these trees falling. There were trees down, wires down and fires burning. I thought, " That’s terrible." Then Ellen called. She said the tree fell and knowing the answer I asked the question anyway: OUR tree?

When I saw the house at first it did not look as bad as I thought it would. I expected all the windows to be smashed. The damage is where you can’t see until you go inside, and you notice everything is askew with doors that don’t close and floors that buckled because the tree pushed the house off the foundation. It broke the bedroom closet off the house, leaving a gap in the living room walls. The tarping company did a very good job; still, it’s awful to look at. The insurance company engineers commented seriously “wait to remove the tree until you shore up the house; that’s what is holding it up right now.”

Now and Next:

The expenses began slowly, and they grow. Temporarily housed with our 2 little dogs (Lily and Daphne) in a rental (Thank you, God & neighbors!) we learn what so many things will cost and work to schedule work with the right people. Working full time, the two of us face expenses beginning with giant tree removal and on into rebuilding/replacing our home of 24 years while we struggle with insurance to see what coverage we have. Jeff said it best: beginning now everyone who comes onto our property to look, and point, will cost us money.

 This go fund me page means a lot to us. We are grateful. This “relying on the kindness of strangers” approach is a gift from world famous comedian and musician Richard Stockton who already donated 5 whole dollars.

Thank you all in advance, Ralphie and Ellen (and Lily and Daphne)