My mother Patricia and I are creating this fundraiser as a family effort. Hi, my name is Kirschen, and my father Charles died last week when a tree fell on him outside our home. It was a freak accident and a great tragedy, but sadly my mother and I find that we need to stay focused on several very real problems we face in light of this.

We relied on him greatly for the work he performed around our home, and there is a real practical and financial cost associated with trying to continue our lives without him. Sadly, he was 3 credits shy of the 40 required for Social Security, and as such, we will not receive any survivors benefits.

My father's friends often described him as having been "the life of the party" since his youth. He was outspoken, gregarious, and dedicated to his family and friends, acting as a father figure to several. He remained a man of faith throughout his life, continuing to pray privately even when he did not attend church regularly for periods of time.

My father was a great lover of nature and all the Lord's creatures throughout his life. He always avoided stepping on ants, and even the live "catch and release style" mouse trap we kept around the house would be removed on Christmas Eve. He endeavored to help friends and strangers alike, helping detox one on his path to recovery repeatedly and providing counseling to others through the years in different capacities. Service to others was a theme in my father's life, and one of my parents' first dates was volunteering for the Salvation Army at Christmas time.

As an outdoorsman, my father enjoyed camping and hiking, but he was also a great lover of fine art, notably that of the Hudson River School. At the time of his passing, he had hiked 46 of the 50 U.S. highpoints. For the past few summers, we would drive cross-country so I could complete many of the same hikes. At present, I'm up to 42.

My father had been unemployed for many years prior to his passing, in part due to some trauma related to the untimely passing of his own father, and leaves behind no financial legacy. He had no checking account or credit card at the time of his death, a financial consequence of my grandfather's untimely death in 1998 that caused our family's previous home to be lost through foreclosure.

We have sought to minimize his final expenses by having friends make his coffin by hand and by doing a simple funeral mass at church with no wake or viewing beforehand.

My mother and I anticipate needing help to bridge the gap as we figure out whether we will be able to stay in our home or need to move. We live in a small home that is heavily mortgaged and in need of some major repairs—notably a roof and a heating system, since my father had previously chopped wood for us to burn—but we find that it may actually cost us even more to rent a small apartment.

In addition, I am 15 and set to graduate high school a year early, in 2027, so I would appreciate any help that would allow me to cover expenses not related to my school fees, such as being able to travel for an interview or internship, or other costs that couldn't readily be covered through financial aid.

To be clear, all 4 of my grandparents were deceased prior to my birth. In addition, no funds have been put aside in my name by anyone, nor will I become the beneficiary of anything at any age to the best of my knowledge.

Therefore, your support is greatly appreciated and will make a meaningful difference in our lives.