Rygwelski Family Post-Flood Fund

You may have heard, Houston had a teeny-weeny little hurricane and...kind of flooded. Including the suburbs where Sheila, Brian, Evan, Haley, and Sienna (can't forget the furry family) live southwest of Houston. Their house got about a foot of dirty, disgusting, muddy Brazos River water in it before Harvey decided he was finished with Richmond, Texas.

Sheila and Brian are some of the lucky ones; they have insurance, a decent income, and friends and family to support them. But did you know that even with flood insurance, restoration of a flooded house is REALLY REALLY EXPENSIVE? Insurance doesn't cover it all and even the little things really add up: Nights in motels until you figure out where you'll stay long-term, garbage bags, gloves, bleach, buckets, fans, moving boxes, replacing furniture...the list goes on and on!

Wait, you say. This sounds familiar. Didn't Sheila and Brian's house flood, like, a year ago? As a matter of fact, YES! It seems like the house just got finished from last time. Poor Brian camped out in the disaster of a house finishing the demo on weekends, while poor Sheila and the kiddos stayed with wonderful friends, her parents in Oregon, and Brian's parents in Michigan. Haley started standing for the first time in Oregon. Skype is great but it can't make up for being apart and missing things like that!

And last time, even with insurance, Sheila and Brian had to spend a lot of money out of pocket on demo, on repairs, on materials, and on just day-to-day expenses. That's how we know a little help would go a long way to make their lives a little bit easier as they go through AGAIN what nobody should have to go through even once. Every little bit will help. Not only financially, but to show our good friends that they are loved and supported in this craptastic, horrible, frustrating time.

(Our names are Mara and Angie and we've known Sheila since college and Brian since not long after that. We promise every penny will go right to Sheila and Brian to use as they see fit, whether it's at Home Depot, Target, Ikea, or anywhere else they want.  Mara is a lawyer and doesn't want to lose her license, so she double-promises!)

GoFundMe wants certain information included in this story before I will be able to withdraw the donated funds to send to Sheila and Brian, so here you go:
1. My name is Mara Houck, I live in Canyon City, Oregon.

2. I am one of Sheila Rygwelski's best friends since college. (OSU 1997-2002, go Beavs!)

3. Sheila and Brian will spend the donated funds as they see fit to assist in their house restoration and daily lives after the Harvey floodwaters receded.

4. I have set this fundraiser up for Sheila to withdraw the donated funds directly to her own accounts.