Jo & Steve -Rebuild after East Troublesome Fire
Donation protected
Rebuilding lives after the East Troublesome Fire
Hi, I’m glo gaines. I currently live in FL. This fundraiser is NOT for my benefit.
I've started this fund to try to help a friend in CO.
Johanna Carroll-Robinson & her husband, Steve Robinson have a dream of rebuilding what they lost in the East Troublesome Fire in October 2020.
ALL monies collected will be used to help them rebuild their home.
The only thing I will gain is the satisfaction that I have followed a call to help.
I hope you will too.
Several years ago, my friend, Johanna (Joann Carroll), met the best man she’d ever known, Steve Robinson. They married & began the considerable feat of turning a little summer cabin in Grand Lake, CO into their ideal full-time home.
At an altitude of almost 9,000ft, it sat high up in the woods overlooking a pasture with a breathtaking 270° view of the surrounding mountains.
As you might imagine, quite a bit of hard work, love, laughter, time, and money was poured into this project.
They lived in the house while they worked.... with no running water. Steve hauled it in. Every..single..night.. for 2 ½ years. Yet, despite the challenges, they were very happy and content in their sanctuary where moose, elk and hawks were frequent visitors.
(before)
Until the fire.
First reported on October 14, the East Troublesome fire ran amok for 9 days.
Four days, October 20-24, saw the fastest and most devastating growth.
(long-distance view)
It was during this 4 days that it roared across Jo & Steve's mountainside with 300 foot high flames at an incredible 120mph – equivalent to Category 3 hurricane winds. At 1220°+, it devoured everything in its path.
The sky was black with thick smoke, flying embers, and ash. The roar of the fire was deafening as it raced toward them.
Still, they were grateful. They had prayed over their safety and over their little piece of paradise and knew their faith would guide them.
Along with others, Steve and Johanna evacuated with only 20 minutes notice and little more than 2 suitcases of their belongings.
An estimated 366 residences & 214 outbuildings and commercial businesses were destroyed or damaged.*
It was nine days before Jo & Steve were allowed back onto their property for a first-hand look at what nature had wrought.
Although they realized their home was likely lost, nothing could have prepared them for what they were about to see and experience.
What they found was total devastation.
....Gone was their home - only the foundation still stood.
....Gone were all their belongings,
....Gone was Steve’s livelihood. All equipment from his painting business was lost.
Everything had been reduced to ash and twisted metal….. the cast iron vintage stove, mangled; metal roofing, twisted, stripped of all color and blown down their hill; mounds of ash… essentially, not much recognizable except the shard of a ceramic mug and the outline of the antique sewing machine that Jo’s mother brought when she immigrated to the US.
(after)
Two and a half acres of black toothpicks stood where once there were abundant pines and aspen. In short, everything they’d worked on together – a complete loss.
While they are certainly still feeling the shock of it all, Steve and Johanna are now setting their sights on building a new home in which to make new memories of a life together.
In addition to this, Johanna is also facing some significant health issues that she and Steve are addressing.
This is where this fundraising page comes in.
Insurance will cover a very small portion of their loss; however, it will not be enough alone to rebuild. They will need additional help.
Along with possible in kind donations, Jo & Steve are estimating a need of $150,000 and one year to build a new home. They are trusting this will be possible.
We are asking $50,000 with this fund to get them started. Just 1/3 of their need.
It will get their well either re-hab'd or a new one dug & a bit left over to use elsewhere (ie: sewer). They will need water first thing if they are to rebuild.
Many of you may know Jo & Steve personally, some of you may not.
- Johanna is a force of nature all by herself. Never one to sit idly by, over the years she has donated much of her time and money to numerous benevolent causes. One near and dear to her heart has always been, ironically, homelessness. She served in the greater Denver area with the homeless for over 30 years.
- She and Steve are active in the Christian Motorcyclist’s Association.
- Steve is a member of the Grand Lake Rotary Club
- Johanna currently sews children’s masks for distribution through the Grand County Rural Health Network to help fight COVID.
These are just a few of the ways they have continually reached out in their communities over the years. Now it is our turn to step up as their “community” to help them.
I created this GoFundMe page/account to give that opportunity.
Let’s help them rebuild their home and their lives.
Your donation, of ANY amount, will help take this from a hope and a dream, to a reality.
Please join me in donating now and by sharing/reposting this GFM page on your own social networking sites. This will help us reach as many people as possible.
Together, I know we can get Steve and Johanna home once again.
On behalf of Jo & Steve..........THANK YOU! GOD BLESS!!
*https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Finciweb.nwcg.gov%2Fincident%2F7242%2F&data=04%7C01%7C%7Cd9d4bae502d74437ca0608d89bb59023%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637430551390899028%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=LCM60w%2Bh3lUTxYr6fL7kBFdtQnJjS01P5N%2F40jsMaUo%3D&reserved=0
Hi, I’m glo gaines. I currently live in FL. This fundraiser is NOT for my benefit.
I've started this fund to try to help a friend in CO.
Johanna Carroll-Robinson & her husband, Steve Robinson have a dream of rebuilding what they lost in the East Troublesome Fire in October 2020.
ALL monies collected will be used to help them rebuild their home.
The only thing I will gain is the satisfaction that I have followed a call to help.
I hope you will too.
Several years ago, my friend, Johanna (Joann Carroll), met the best man she’d ever known, Steve Robinson. They married & began the considerable feat of turning a little summer cabin in Grand Lake, CO into their ideal full-time home.
At an altitude of almost 9,000ft, it sat high up in the woods overlooking a pasture with a breathtaking 270° view of the surrounding mountains.
As you might imagine, quite a bit of hard work, love, laughter, time, and money was poured into this project.
They lived in the house while they worked.... with no running water. Steve hauled it in. Every..single..night.. for 2 ½ years. Yet, despite the challenges, they were very happy and content in their sanctuary where moose, elk and hawks were frequent visitors.
(before)Until the fire.
First reported on October 14, the East Troublesome fire ran amok for 9 days.
Four days, October 20-24, saw the fastest and most devastating growth.
(long-distance view)It was during this 4 days that it roared across Jo & Steve's mountainside with 300 foot high flames at an incredible 120mph – equivalent to Category 3 hurricane winds. At 1220°+, it devoured everything in its path.
The sky was black with thick smoke, flying embers, and ash. The roar of the fire was deafening as it raced toward them.
Still, they were grateful. They had prayed over their safety and over their little piece of paradise and knew their faith would guide them.
Along with others, Steve and Johanna evacuated with only 20 minutes notice and little more than 2 suitcases of their belongings.
An estimated 366 residences & 214 outbuildings and commercial businesses were destroyed or damaged.*
It was nine days before Jo & Steve were allowed back onto their property for a first-hand look at what nature had wrought.
Although they realized their home was likely lost, nothing could have prepared them for what they were about to see and experience.
What they found was total devastation.
....Gone was their home - only the foundation still stood.
....Gone were all their belongings,
....Gone was Steve’s livelihood. All equipment from his painting business was lost.
Everything had been reduced to ash and twisted metal….. the cast iron vintage stove, mangled; metal roofing, twisted, stripped of all color and blown down their hill; mounds of ash… essentially, not much recognizable except the shard of a ceramic mug and the outline of the antique sewing machine that Jo’s mother brought when she immigrated to the US.
(after)Two and a half acres of black toothpicks stood where once there were abundant pines and aspen. In short, everything they’d worked on together – a complete loss.
While they are certainly still feeling the shock of it all, Steve and Johanna are now setting their sights on building a new home in which to make new memories of a life together.
In addition to this, Johanna is also facing some significant health issues that she and Steve are addressing.
This is where this fundraising page comes in.
Insurance will cover a very small portion of their loss; however, it will not be enough alone to rebuild. They will need additional help.
Along with possible in kind donations, Jo & Steve are estimating a need of $150,000 and one year to build a new home. They are trusting this will be possible.
We are asking $50,000 with this fund to get them started. Just 1/3 of their need.
It will get their well either re-hab'd or a new one dug & a bit left over to use elsewhere (ie: sewer). They will need water first thing if they are to rebuild.
Many of you may know Jo & Steve personally, some of you may not.
- Johanna is a force of nature all by herself. Never one to sit idly by, over the years she has donated much of her time and money to numerous benevolent causes. One near and dear to her heart has always been, ironically, homelessness. She served in the greater Denver area with the homeless for over 30 years.
- She and Steve are active in the Christian Motorcyclist’s Association.
- Steve is a member of the Grand Lake Rotary Club
- Johanna currently sews children’s masks for distribution through the Grand County Rural Health Network to help fight COVID.
These are just a few of the ways they have continually reached out in their communities over the years. Now it is our turn to step up as their “community” to help them.
I created this GoFundMe page/account to give that opportunity.
Let’s help them rebuild their home and their lives.
Your donation, of ANY amount, will help take this from a hope and a dream, to a reality.
Please join me in donating now and by sharing/reposting this GFM page on your own social networking sites. This will help us reach as many people as possible.
Together, I know we can get Steve and Johanna home once again.
On behalf of Jo & Steve..........THANK YOU! GOD BLESS!!
*https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Finciweb.nwcg.gov%2Fincident%2F7242%2F&data=04%7C01%7C%7Cd9d4bae502d74437ca0608d89bb59023%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637430551390899028%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=LCM60w%2Bh3lUTxYr6fL7kBFdtQnJjS01P5N%2F40jsMaUo%3D&reserved=0
Organizer and beneficiary
Gloria Gaines
Organizer
Fernandina Beach, FL
Joann Carroll
Beneficiary
