Join Us in Rebuilding Our Home and Health

Hello friends, I want to first explain how humbling it is to have to ask for help. I don't ask for help and have always tried to make things work on my own. However, after many prayers, I came to the decision that I have to humbly ask for help. As most of you know, I have always loved the aesthetic and character of my old home, and it has been good to us until recently, so let me share our story with you.

About 3 weeks ago, we had bad storms, and our roof started leaking and flooded our ceiling. We had the roofers come out, and unfortunately, I had to have a full roof replacement, which insurance would not cover. The main trunks of the HVAC unit ran up the chimneys, and since they took them out during the roof replacement, they had to be relocated too. They ran new ductwork and replaced the hot water tank at the time as well. Well, needless to say, we never expected that the job would set us back $30,000. At that time, we also informed the HVAC team that we had a leaking gas valve, so we needed it replaced. They ordered the part and found out that since our unit is older, it needed a conversion part. Two weeks later, they tried to install that part to realize that our unit was installed sideways to begin with and would not allow enough room for the replacement part for airflow. At that time, due to the leaking and not being able to replace that part, they red-flagged and turned off the gas to the furnace. How would we have ever guessed that Ohio would end up not having a Spring and being cold and rainy for the past month, so we have been dealing with 50-60 degree temps indoors in May. Well, we knew we had to have our HVAC unit replaced, so after many, many quotes, we were hit with another big expense of $15,000 for that unit. Within a month's time, we have been hit with a new $45,000 expense to hit our already tight budget. Then we have the added expenses of trying to fix the ceilings and walls in two of our rooms. During this time, because it seems like life wants to continue to kick you while you are down, Eric had to have his gall bladder removed, which unfortunately got infected and set him back a bit more than expected. On top of that, we have been dealing with some medical issues and expenses as we go along.

We have always been a couple who pride ourselves in making things work, trusting that God will lead us through and doing it on our own. We know that we are adults and have to make provisions for household expenses like this with owning a home. For years, we have used those funds to try and fix and maintain the home, but with medical bills and other emergencies over the years, that fund has been cleaned out. It is not the fact that this is an expense we need to figure out, it is the overwhelming fact that multiple emergencies have hit at once, and it has taken a big ding out of our expenses. We know that times are tough for everyone right now, so it hurts even more to ask. Many prayers have been said to help guide me, and I just keep hearing to do it and to trust that God will make a way. So now, with all this being said, I humbly ask that if you have the capacity to assist, we would be forever grateful. To be honest, no amount is too small; a dollar or two always adds up. One of my favorite things is called a "Drop in a bucket." The basis of the story is just to show that every single drop might seem small and insignificant, but when everyone comes together to spread the love and caring to one another, the person's bucket truly overflows. Please trust me when I say that those drops coming together are more powerful than a downpour. The reason for this is because you can see how your community, your friends and family, your tribe, and sometimes even wonderful strangers come together to lift people up and show they care.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to read through my story, and I want to say thank you ahead of time for any assistance you may provide. Please remember that we are well aware that many can't help at this time, and that is ok. In place of assistance, if you can send up a prayer, good vibes, or whatever our way, then that means just as much. Thanks again, everyone.