Home invasion/fire leaves our friends homeless

Our dear friends and community members, Slade and Tim Graves need our help.  Last Fall, with the enthusiasm it takes to make a huge change and the courage to leave their beloved home and community that is their family, Slade and Time moved to Salem, OR, where they bought a little house and began to settle in.  Just three months into their new life, they suffered an unimaginable tragedy.  On January 22, after Tim had left for work, a man broke into the back of their home.  As he came in, Slade fled out the front door barefooted, wearing only her pajamas.  The man then locked himself in the house and refused to surrender when the police arrived.  After a lengthy stand-off, during which time the man set fires on the inside of the house, the police finally launched tear gas into the house forcing the man out.

In the aftermath, Slade and Tim learned that, not only had all of their possessions (clothing, furnishings,  computer and Slade's extraordinary art work) been lost, but their beloved cats, Bird and Finnegan perished as well.    Their house is so toxic from the chemicals released in the fire, that it has been boarded up and they are not permitted to enter.  They literally lost everything.  

With only the clothes in which  they walked (or ran) out of their house that morning,  traumatized and in severe shock, Slade and Tim took shelter in a motel and began the process of piecing their lives back together.  Slade has shared that trauma services are sorely lacking in Salem.  Aside from needing emotional support, as you might imagine, our friends have had to replace everything from  toothpaste to clothing to laptops.   When they eventually move out of the motel, they will need furnishings for an entire house, linens, blankets, cookware and dishes etc.     

I cannot imagine the personal devastation of such profound loss, but I do know that love and support from community can go a long way toward healing.  If you are able to contribute anything at all to help Slade and Tim rebuild their lives, it would be enormously appreciated.