Please Help Me Save My Home and Gardens!

UPDATE 6/7/2022: I have been awarded funds from both grant programs I have applied for! Consequently, I have reduced the amount I am seeking to raise to $50,000. I have limited time  to prove to New York State that I have the rest of the money needed to settle the foreclosure and pay the back taxes. If I can’t prove I have the funds, they will withdraw the grant money. Please donate and share so I can keep my home!

TLDR: Hello all. On May 10th, my home, which I recently inherited, will go into foreclosure. I’m disabled due to multiple health problems, and my options are few. I am afraid I will end up homeless. I am trying to raise money to pay off the debts left on the house, primarily from a loan my father took out to cover medical expenses for my mother. As well as pay for some much-needed repairs and modifications that will allow me to age in place.

Full Version: When walking by my house, you might not be all that impressed. Like many homes in Syracuse, NY, the house is over 100 years old, and mine looks its age. The paint is peeling, and there is rotting trim. But, if you lower your gaze, you will see a labor of love, my gardens. During the summer, on my porch, you will see a cool, shaded oasis that I create using house plants grown primarily from cuttings, gifts from friends, and even some inherited from my grandmother.

My physical abilities are limited after a four year battle to prevent amputation of my feet due to infected diabetic ulcers. But I can still work in my gardens! Initially, there was a learning curve in figuring out how to accomplish garden chores without spending too much time standing or bending over. I was thrilled to discover how much I could do while scooting along the ground on my backside! While I was laid up, I had a lot of time to read and research, and it changed my gardening tastes and goals. I had always been interested in gardening with native plants, but it has become a passion over the last seven years. I have been slowly converting my garden beds to primarily native species. In the last few years, I’ve reached out to homeowners and students in my university neighborhood, helping those interested start gardens of their own, sharing cuttings, seeds, and splitting perennials. I love talking about what I know with anyone interested in the wide variety of beautiful native plants suitable for use in home landscapes and the value of these plants to our ecosystem. At the same time, I try to bring to their attention non-native invasive plant species present in the area and, if asked, give tips on eradicating these problem plants from their yards. It’s been a wonderful way to meet and get to know my neighbors. It has also been fantastic seeing native plants proliferate in gardens all over the neighborhood!

When I became disabled, I lost my job as a Practice Administrator for a small ophthalmic surgical practice. Since I was eleven years old and delivering newspapers, I was unemployed for the first time. Fortunately, I had enough savings to cover all of my living expenses, including health insurance, for almost two years. But, inevitably, my savings began to run out. Shortly after my first surgery, I was forced to admit defeat and applied for Public Assistance and Social Security Disability. Even worse, I had to give up my home (and gardens!), my independence and move in with my elderly father.

My father passed away in December of 2020, leaving the house to myself, four siblings and two grandsons. My family has signed over all rights to and interest in the place to me. However, with the house comes the remaining balance on the mortgage my father had taken out to cover end-of-life care for my mother, a significant amount in unpaid taxes, and the cost of much-needed repairs. Mainly due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the complicated estate, the amount of the debts owed and my low income, legal representation, or even advice have been next to impossible to find.

Despite all of this, I still have not given up. I have been working with Home Headquarters and Hiscock Legal Services. I applied for grants and have been trying to find financing with a cosigner to pay off the liens on the house. My grant applications have been accepted, and my eligibility has been confirmed. However, I have been told there is no way to know how long before a determination will be made on how much, if any, funds will be awarded. Even if the maximum amount is awarded, the grants will not cover all the debts, late fees, legal fees, etc., now owed on the house.

As time ticks away, I become more anxious and, frankly, terrified that I will lose my home, my gardens, and, this time, my community. I love this neighborhood. I have lived here the majority of my life, much of it on the same street in the same house I live in now. A place where I am known, supported, connected and where I can contribute. There is no way my income is enough to cover rent in this area. It’s not enough in most regions considering the current rental market. There are months-long waiting lists for subsidized housing throughout the city, and staying with friends or family isn’t an option.

The dangerous prospect of homelessness, living in a shelter or my car, is real. I have done everything my friends, family and I can think of, everything the professionals have recommended, to keep my home. Now, all I can do is something I could never have imagined, but put my story out to the public and plead for help.

I know these are hard times for everyone. Almost everyone’s finances are stretched. And, I am by far not the only person looking for financial help. Therefore, I will be that much more grateful to anyone able to donate, no matter how small.

Thanks for reading to the end!