My name is Antonio “Toni” Kilgo, and I am raising funds in honor of my mother, Pamela Kilgo, to restore her home in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to safe condition.

Mom currently receives care away from home. I want to preserve her home and protect it from further deterioration while we work through the repairs it needs. We have completed a full cleanout. What remains is a major reconstruction project.

The house has a history of a second-floor fire and a basement sewage backup. A roofing company has recommended removing and rebuilding the structure from the second-floor ceiling level up through a new roof, including the affected joists and rafters. The exact members to remove and the reconstruction details need to be confirmed in a written structural repair plan.

The basement and lower floor need to be stripped back to the studs and foundation and reconstructed. The planned work also includes replacing the home’s heating, ventilation, electrical, and plumbing systems. Major trees and roots along the side-yard retaining-wall area toward the street also need to be assessed, along with any required retaining-wall and related site work.

How donations will help

Donations will help pay for professional assessments, structural design where required, demolition and debris removal, rebuilding, replacement building systems, permits and inspections, and GoFundMe transaction fees. The priorities are structural stability, safe building systems, and the repairs necessary for a safe, usable property.

We are gathering written contractor scopes and estimates before treating any amount as the complete cost. Those estimates need to distinguish work already done from work that remains and identify what is included, excluded, or still subject to inspection. Any confirmed insurance funds, grants, or donated materials and labor will reduce the amount we need to raise for the same work.

I will share a funding breakdown once the scope and prices are established, keep receipts and spending records, and post updates as the work progresses. If inspections uncover additional damage or the plan changes, I will explain what changed and how it affects the budget.

This fundraiser is a personal effort to care for Mom’s home in her honor. Contributions will be directed toward documented, remaining restoration costs. If you can donate or share the fundraiser, thank you for helping our family take on this work responsibly.

Photos of the home

Family-provided walkthrough and exterior photos document conditions at the home. The exterior photos’ capture dates have not been verified. A cleanout has been completed; the current remaining work is being confirmed.