Christel and her wife, Amanda, recently welcomed three young girls into their home after the devastating loss of the children’s 2-year-old brother. When the girls — ages 5, 7, and 13 — were at risk of being placed in the foster care system and separated, Christel and Amanda stepped in to keep them together.
Their decision was made out of pure love and urgency. The couple’s 18-year-old daughter even gave up her bedroom so the girls would have somewhere to sleep. Right now, the three sisters share one small room, and there isn’t enough space for everyone to live comfortably or privately.
Christel and Amanda are doing everything they can to provide safety, stability, and healing — from helping the girls get involved in sports and Girl Scouts to teaching them how to express their feelings and rebuild trust.
What they need most now is space. Their basement is unfinished, but it offers 840 square feet — enough to create two bedrooms and a bathroom so everyone can have room to grow, heal, and feel secure.
Christel and Amanda aren’t asking for help lightly. Finishing the basement is the only way to make this new family structure sustainable. Without it, the children could be placed back into the system — and split apart.
This GoFundMe has been created to help raise the funds needed to finish the basement and keep these sisters together, safe, and loved in a home where they’ve finally found stability.
If you aren’t able to donate financially, there are still so many ways to help. The family is also in need of building supplies and would be incredibly grateful for contractors or tradespeople willing to volunteer their time or services to help with the basement project. Every bit of help — whether through materials, labor, or spreading the word — brings them one step closer to giving these girls the space and security they need.
Every donation, share, and word of encouragement means the world to them — and to three little girls who are learning what it feels like to be surrounded by community, care, and the kind of love that helps them heal.
Thank you for helping Christel and Amanda create a safe, lasting home where these children can continue to grow and thrive.