Housing Support for Craig
Donation protected
Dear Friends,
Many of you know my Mom, Lorna passed away after a rapid and unexpected illness in December of 2019. Her passing was a shock to both myself and my brother Craig and the various communities she touched.
Many of you also know that my brother Craig has been struggling with mental health issues since he was 18 and is now in his early 50s. Craig was living with my Mom at the time of her death and has never lived independently. All of his adult life he lived with either my Mom or with his girlfriend/care giver.
The loss of my Mom, the details of her estate and inheriting supporting/advocating for my brother has been a huge learning curve for me and it has been very challenging - emotionally, physically and mentally. AND - I am so grateful for the support of my partner Patrick and my uncle Gary in all of this.
In the wake of my Mom's passing there has been a great deal of anxiety around where Craig will live. He needs to remain in the area until December of 2020, he is unable to find suitable low income housing and buying a house is not an option at this point.
More than ever Craig needs stability and consistency. Our plan is for Craig to stay in my Mom's house until the end of the year. At that point we can decide if he wants to stay in the area or move elsewhere (maybe to where I live) and where they will be more housing options for him.
Currently he is living in my Mom's house as we clear much of her belongings. He is paying something towards the expenses and her estate is covering the rest but her estate can not cover the difference until the end of the year. I go to visit once a week to help with grocery shopping and generally just hanging out with him. With the loss of my Mom there is a new closeness between which feels good.
He is more stable than he's been ... maybe ever, despite of the turmoil. He has been doing a wonderful job keeping up the house and meeting most of his basic needs. He feels safe and comfortable there and there are good neighbors, myself and family close by. His being able to stay put through the end of the year would be a great weight off his and my mind, giving him the chance to process his grief and really consider what might be next steps for him. He has a lot of anxiety about moving and not knowing where/how he will find a home. We are both deep in our grieving process as well.
Having a stable home through the year will really help Craig process the loss of his Mom and gain some confidence and skills to move into great independence in his next home and chapter of his life.
Craig is able to pay something - @ $550 per month starting in May through December and and we are hoping to raise enough to cover the remainder of the monthly costs which include; utilities - gas & electric, home owners insurance and property taxes, which comes to about $6300 based on current expenses.
Thank you so much for reading through this and considering to give whatever you are able to - no amount is too small.
If you feel there are folks in my Mom's life who would like to offer support here - please share widely.
Sincerely,
Tracy & Craig Chipman
Many of you know my Mom, Lorna passed away after a rapid and unexpected illness in December of 2019. Her passing was a shock to both myself and my brother Craig and the various communities she touched.
Many of you also know that my brother Craig has been struggling with mental health issues since he was 18 and is now in his early 50s. Craig was living with my Mom at the time of her death and has never lived independently. All of his adult life he lived with either my Mom or with his girlfriend/care giver.
The loss of my Mom, the details of her estate and inheriting supporting/advocating for my brother has been a huge learning curve for me and it has been very challenging - emotionally, physically and mentally. AND - I am so grateful for the support of my partner Patrick and my uncle Gary in all of this.
In the wake of my Mom's passing there has been a great deal of anxiety around where Craig will live. He needs to remain in the area until December of 2020, he is unable to find suitable low income housing and buying a house is not an option at this point.
More than ever Craig needs stability and consistency. Our plan is for Craig to stay in my Mom's house until the end of the year. At that point we can decide if he wants to stay in the area or move elsewhere (maybe to where I live) and where they will be more housing options for him.
Currently he is living in my Mom's house as we clear much of her belongings. He is paying something towards the expenses and her estate is covering the rest but her estate can not cover the difference until the end of the year. I go to visit once a week to help with grocery shopping and generally just hanging out with him. With the loss of my Mom there is a new closeness between which feels good.
He is more stable than he's been ... maybe ever, despite of the turmoil. He has been doing a wonderful job keeping up the house and meeting most of his basic needs. He feels safe and comfortable there and there are good neighbors, myself and family close by. His being able to stay put through the end of the year would be a great weight off his and my mind, giving him the chance to process his grief and really consider what might be next steps for him. He has a lot of anxiety about moving and not knowing where/how he will find a home. We are both deep in our grieving process as well.
Having a stable home through the year will really help Craig process the loss of his Mom and gain some confidence and skills to move into great independence in his next home and chapter of his life.
Craig is able to pay something - @ $550 per month starting in May through December and and we are hoping to raise enough to cover the remainder of the monthly costs which include; utilities - gas & electric, home owners insurance and property taxes, which comes to about $6300 based on current expenses.
Thank you so much for reading through this and considering to give whatever you are able to - no amount is too small.
If you feel there are folks in my Mom's life who would like to offer support here - please share widely.
Sincerely,
Tracy & Craig Chipman
Organizer
Tracy Chipman
Organizer
Menomonie, WI