Hello, my name is Mathew Bolt. I am a father of six. Ages 1, 3, 9, 11, 14, and 17. Currently, aside from my full-time job, my wife, children and I are spending every weekend, holiday and some vacation time helping support my stepfather and my adopted sister by renovating a home for them.

In mid-October my mother’s health took a rapid and unexpected downturn. She was flown to Vanderbilt and within 24 hours, she passed away. At that time, I promised her that we would take care of my stepfather Dane and their 11-year-old daughter Lila who is on the spectrum.

A few weeks later we found out that they were being evicted from the home they rent in Kentucky due to the owners selling the property. After paying the funeral expenses, we then planned out the rest of the $100,000 life insurance policy. We paid off their vehicle, supplemented their income (since they lost my mother’s income when she passed) and decided to purchase and renovate a home for them to live in closer to us.

After a month of searching for homes, we purchased a house in Rockwood with the help of a realtor friend. Based on the issues known, we estimated that the remaining money would be enough to complete the renovations, but after purchasing the house, we found other additional cost (such as the roof being almost double the original quote).

We put together an updated budget for the remaining repairs and renovations. The budget is mostly based on material costs (no labor upcharges), and on the specific repairs that must be completed before, or immediately after, they move in at the end of February. Based on the remaining repairs and renovations, the budget which is mostly material cost, now exceeds by $19,000 and focuses on what absolutely must be done before they move in and what needs to be done in the first few months of them living in the home.

Items that have been completed include:

* New roof and decking with some truss replacement

* Home rim, sill, & siding replacement, exposed after the decaying deck was removed

* Half of the flooring (covering the lament and vinyl rooms)

* HVAC Spilt units (x2)

* Most paint for interior

* Sheetrock & lumber for walls and ceilings

* Accessories such as light fixtures, door knobs, locks

* Dumpsters for trash and other items left by previous owners and construction waste removal

* Some of the plumbing and insulation

Items that require additional funds:

* Moving costs: moving truck, gas and loaders

* HVAC split unit installations

* Both back doors require steps for access

* Remaining plumbing and insulation in the crawl space; a recent cold front broke multiple plumbing pipes

* Water heater to be moved from outside to inside

* Remaining flooring, carpeting for bedrooms and upstairs

* Several interior and exterior doors

* Accessories like blinds, faucets, handrails, outlet covers

* Remaining interior paint and all of the exterior paint for siding repair

* Additional dumpster for construction waste removal

* Garage roof replacement and siding repair

* Removal of 2 high risk trees within several feet of the house.

We have been able to make some deals with contractors and we have done as much of the labor on our own as possible.

Based on a detailed cost breakout, our fundraising goal helps us to break even on costs. We tried our best to only include items that will make their home livable. If any raised funds exceed our goal, the rest will go to their medical bills, transportation maintenance and other living expenses.

Any donations or offerings to help with labor would be very much appreciated. Thank you for helping us fulfill my mother’s wish to care for Dane and Lila.

Thank You and God bless!