My daughter has always been incredibly hardworking and dedicated, especially when it comes to her 4H projects. Last year, she invested the money she earned from auction into building an animal shelter. It wasn't just for herself, but also for her brother’s future in 4H as he's eligible to auction for the first time. We took on the project together, traveling all the way to Barstow, CA to pick up the shelter and slowly assembling it as a team. It was a labor of love, and we were both excited to see it in use for the upcoming season.

Unfortunately, just after we finished building the shelter, a large wind storm swept through Hollister, CA and destroyed it before we ever had the chance to use it for her lambs. The wind was gusting at up to 70 mph the night before Christmas Eve. By the time we got home that night, the wind had already pushed it into the weights meant to hold it down bending the frame and destroying the siding. As the wind picked up, even with my wife and I standing on it trying to hold it down, the shelter was lifting off the ground nearly flipping over completely. Thank God for our neighbors checking on us; they were able to get their tractor to hold the shelter down enough to limit the damage through the rest of the storm. The good news, the frame is repairable and no animals were in it. However, all of the steel siding was destroyed.

The shelter was meant to be the center of their daily chores, a safe place for four animals, and a spot to store all their supplies. It’s heartbreaking to see all that hard work undone so quickly.

Despite her disappointment, my daughter has remained positive and determined. Rebuilding the shelter is essential for both her and her brother to continue their 4H journey this season. I’m reaching out for help to restore what we worked so hard to create so they can keep caring for their animals and stay active in 4H. Any support would mean the world to us and help turn this setback into a new beginning. One in which we know will be secure in future storms while keeping their investments safe and us out of the weather for emergency repairs.

Funds will be used for all of the material for refurbishing the shelter. The bent frame will be repaired and strengthened with steel angle iron at the joints. We'll install plywood under the metal panels to make the whole shelter rigid in the wind. The roof will be reinforced with additional rafters and plywood decking under the new steel panels. We'll add heavy duty brackets to keep the frame squared and rigid. Finally, we'll pour a concrete curb to secure the shelter to the ground.

Thank you for your consideration! We'll see you at Fair!