Dear Friends and Family,

Last Friday, July 25th my brother received a call from the Ulster County Sheriff with the devastating news that there had been a fire at his apartment and it was uninhabitable. In the days since, we have been trying to accept the very real possibility that he has lost not just his home, but everything he has worked his entire life to build for himself and Rufio. We don’t know when or if we will get to go inside to see if there is anything left to salvage.

It goes without saying that we are beyond grateful he and his pup were not home when the fire happened. He was spared the fear, injuries and loss of beloved pets that his neighbors experienced.

What is left now is to process the shock and disbelief, and hopefully move towards helping him rebuild. Some things can never be replaced, but the outpouring of love and support from those that have been informed of the fire has lent to the healing, and recovering from the sense of isolation of such a loss. The donations to this GoFundMe page will go towards assisting with his immediate needs of clothing, tools for work, and the bare necessities of daily life for him and his pup and potentially lend to reclaiming some semblance of the life he had.

As you can imagine it is all overwhelming. My brother is currently residing with my parents. We would welcome your messages of encouragement, and will ensure that my brother receives them.