Reunite Anderson Family Separated By House Fire

Hi, my name is Valerie Rislove. I am fundraising to reunite my friends, the Anderson family (12 in this family), who have lived separated in different hotel rooms and homes for over a year now. First, the unfortunate part is the insurance money to rebuild the house ran out mid-stream due to the ever increasingly high price of materials. Secondly, a significant life event occurred, which I will tell more about in a moment. All this means they are currently separated in different towns at different homes, hours apart from each other.

So I aim to raise enough to help the Andersons finish plumbing, electrical, insulation, walls, siding, and floors so they can reunite under one roof!

What happened?

In August of 2021, the Anderson family survived a major house fire. Praise God no one was seriously injured! The firefighters worked diligently to minimize the loss. Due to their efforts, the main foundation of the home was not condemned.

Clean up time.

If you have not had the pleasure of entering a burned-out building after a fire, smoke, ash, and WATER have done their thing, you are in luck. I still recall showing up with my boys to be a part of the clean-up crew, and even though we all had high-quality masks, I nearly lost my lunch on several occasions. Blah and yuk! Truly I tell you, this is one hard-working family. I nicknamed the dad the energizer bunny after working alongside him.

Joy all around.

Even more than the smell left in my clothes and on my body for more than three washes, I will never forget the unexpected sight of smiles and good cheers on every Anderson face! How is that even possible, I thought? I know they were, first and foremost, relieved no one was severely hurt. Sure, I get that. Still, all the stuff necessary for living and the memorabilia from several decades of marriage and children went up in smoke. Ok, yes, there were a few moments here and there when one of them would see the remains of something that would then trigger a shudder, a gaping mouth, and in a few instances, all-out waterworks. However, these displays were pretty far and few between. I saw teamwork, even some joking and singing, and no complaining. (Ok, that’s not true; I complained quite a lot.) Between you and me, I know their faith is responsible for such resilience.

Why the fundraiser a year later?

Last year I asked the Andersons if I could pull a fundraiser together to help, especially after I saw the state of affairs with my own two eyes. They politely declined, stating they had homeowners insurance and did not want to take any charity away from other deserving causes. There was no talking them out of this. Why now? Ken (the dad) had to have surgery, and because he didn’t recover fast enough, he lost his job! Of course, the result is no more health insurance for the family until he finishes healing and becomes employed again. Talk about a case of being between a rock and a hard place.

We have a large family with an unfinished/unlivable house, no one that can or will rent to a large family month to month, no job for the moment, and no health insurance. Yet, they have finally agreed to receive help.

Progress progress progress.

They did as much as possible here in the Midwest before the worst of the cold weather season.

The plumbing, HVAC and ventilation have been chiefly completed since winter broke. The electrical had to be redone, and framing and roofing were completed.

I want to give a shout-out to the builder, Stan Prince of Stan Prince Carpentry. He and his crews have been phenomenal. Stan has gone above the call of duty, providing more than just professional services; he has been a good friend to the family.

So what’s left?

Ok, so when the money ran out, here is what was left:

Siding

Drywall

Flooring

Finish insulation, plumbing and electrical.

Inspection of the insulation is needed before the drywall can be completed, followed by flooring, cabinets, fixtures, wood stove installation and appliances. But, again, this is a family willing to do with basic and even used things. I'm watching a family just trying to put a house back together enough so that it passes inspection, and then they can be together again and for their lives to resume.

Still smiling!!

Recently they took a family picture that depicts their inner and outer beauty. I am in awe of their love for one another and that they live to continuously be of help to others, even in their current situation. So please join me in doing what you can to help this lovely family. No amount is too little. And for goodness sake, share the cause with everyone you know. Call it a virtual barn raising. (P.S. I'll keep you all up to date on progress until we reach our reunion goal!)