Help the Horton Family Rebuild After Fire

We left for a short family trip—and came home to nothing.

Hi, my name is Justin Horton. My wife Julia and I took our boys—Ryan (8) and Miller (2)—on a short three-day trip to Kansas City. It was our first real vacation since Miller was born, and we were all excited for a break.

We were at the zoo when I got the call that our house was on fire. Within an hour, we knew it was completely gone.

We tried to keep the day going for the kids and not ruin their memory of it, but the reality set in fast. We left the zoo, notified the hotel, and came home to absolutely nothing.

We had no homeowners insurance. We're starting over from scratch.

I’ve helped set up GoFundMe pages before—for coworkers and friends going through hard times—but I never thought I’d be creating one for my own family.

Right now, our biggest need is a livable space. Several people have been incredibly generous with clothes and supplies (and we’re so thankful), but we have nowhere to put anything. Hotel life isn’t sustainable, especially for young kids. We’re hoping to raise enough to purchase a used camper or mobile home we can place on our property while we figure out what’s next.

We also have a family dog, Sky. She was thankfully boarding at a local kennel, but right now she can’t return home either. We’re trying to find something big enough so she can stay with us and we can all begin to feel settled again.

If we’re fortunate enough to raise more than we need for the camper, every extra dollar will go directly toward rebuilding, replacing what was lost, and giving our boys some stability again.

We know this is a big ask. And we don’t take it lightly. We're only asking for what we truly need to get back on our feet.

If you’re able to donate—thank you. If you can’t give right now, sharing our story would still mean a lot.

—Justin, Julia, Ryan & Miller Horton