Asking for help isn’t easy for me. I’m more inclined to give to a GoFundMe than start one, but here we are.

Our house was decimated by Helene. We’ve followed the rules with the insurance company, with FEMA, etc., and we’ve largely been left to our own devices, fighting at every turn.

We are asking for help simply to offset the difference between what our insurance is paying and the actual cost of materials. We stayed in an apartment for 9 months, out of our own pocket, only to wind up having to move to a small camper when the lease couldn’t be renewed and other properties weren’t available. FEMA assisted with the first 60 days, after that the apartment was entirely out of pocket. As an emergency management guy, we had the oft-mentioned 6 month emergency fund; in reality that was gone in 30 days.

We have received a grand total of $73,000 from insurance; $7,600 from friends and family; and right at $10,000 from government sources. Nearly $20k of that went just to have a place to live (there’s a huge housing crisis and lack of short-term rentals in the NRV). Also, think about how much costs of building materials have changed in that time; the money we’ve received just hasn’t gone as far as we needed it to.

We’ve been very blessed to have a great community that has stepped up to help with labor, clean-up, even the trades. The biggest thing we actually need is cash, to make up the differences between what the insurance is paying and what the materials and costs actually are. In some cases we’ve encountered vendors that even say “well insurance is going to cover this for you” not understanding how we’ve been lowballed. For example, insurance is providing less than $2k to cover ALL of our appliances; the mortgage company demands we replace with like items - not used ones…

Our family sincerely appreciates the love and support we’ve been shown throughout this ordeal. We are truly blessed and appreciate each and every donation.