Help Wardell and Crosby Rebuild and Thrive

Hi, my name is Bonnie, and I'm fundraising for my neighbor and friend, Wardell, and his very sweet cat, Crosby. Wardell is an Afro-Indigenous elderly man who has lived in Portland, OR for most of his life. Wardell has been going through some extremely hard times since his family home burned in a fire in 2017. The house is an African American Historical Property as it was built by his father in the late 1940s, one of a few homes built by a Black man at the time. Wardell is dedicated to rebuilding the house and a large part of this fundraiser will cover some of the inital repairs. In the meantime, Wardell needs some things to make his life more comfortable.

$799 to purchase a solar panel and battery to move Wardell from depending on a gasoline powered generator. With the price of gas, Wardell is spending upwards of $300 per month just to charge his cell phone and provide light at night.

$250 to purchase a Yeti cooler to provide better refrigeration.

$200 to rent an additional dumpster for continued clean out of the house and property. We have a generous friend who works for a trash company and is giving a super deal on the rental.

$5,000 to pay a past water bill on the property. We had to jump through hoops to get the water turned back on with the City and we want to prevent the water from being turned off again.

The remaining funds will be used for nuisance complaints and building code violations that have been levied against the property by the city of Portland, along with extensive repairs that are needed on the property. We have already been in touch with Taking Ownership PDX and Wardell is 150th in line for their help. We are also open to working with contractors who would like to donate their time to reconstruct this historic home. Thank you so much for helping Wardell rebuild and thrive!