The Bennett Family needs your help!!

Megan, Xander, and their daughter Athena are facing a devastating loss and a steep recovery after historic flooding in Milwaukee last week. Their entire basement was destroyed, and due to the unlikelihood of an event like this, no one in the area has flood insurance. Not only were precious belongings and collections of art and entertainment ruined, but insurance won't come close to covering the cost of the clean up and repairs will have to be covered out of pocket, so anything you can contribute would be a huge help!

A little more backstory:

A weekend of rain wasn’t out of the ordinary, but Xander woke up at 2:20 AM Sunday morning to see a leak alert about the basement on his phone. By the time he made it to the basement, water was coming up from the floor drain and was already ankle-deep. Moments later, the basement windows shattered under the pressure of water that began to rush in, and if he’d been any closer to the windows, he would have been hit with shards of glass.

Xander was able to grab a few pieces of art he’d just finished, but everything else was immediately under water. After waking Megan, they spent the next two hours moving everything they could from their main floor to the top of the house as quickly as they could, knowing that their belongings in the basement were already destroyed.

Water had flooded all the way up the 80-foot driveway and right to the front door, but fortunately the first floor was spared. An emergency plumber who came later in the day said that it was the worst basement flooding he’d ever seen in his long career. The Bennetts have been staying at a hotel with their four-year-old and living out of suitcases (that they had to buy on Sunday because theirs were ruined). They've been working from friends’ houses during the day while they wait for electricity to be restored, since their entire electrical panel was destroyed and had to be rebuilt. Through all of this, neither of them have even taken time off from work!

It’s difficult to describe the scale of destruction when it comes to sentimental items, but in addition to losing entire collections of entertainment and art and games, the structural and appliance damage was catastrophic. The entire electrical panel, A/C coil & furnace, water heater, and backup sump pump system are all destroyed. The living area and guest suite are gone. The waterlogged remains are being thrown into a dumpster as the drywall is ripped out, and again: most of this will not be covered by insurance.

A collection of over 100 boardgames, D&D books and miniatures, luggage, and original paintings are all unsalvageable. Megan spent decades curating a collection of Christmas tree ornaments that represented places she’d traveled and celebrations she’d shared, (If you’ve met her, you know she loves to craft!) and they were all completely destroyed. An heirloom violin that she was hoping to use to teach Athena to play hasn’t even been found yet.

Megan and Xander have maintained a positive outlook despite what they are calling “a comedically bad situation,” and are so grateful that their family is safe and healthy, but the repair and recovery ahead of them is long and costly. Out-of-pocket expenses for the removal of toxic drainage and waste are most likely going to cost $60,000, and that is barely one week out, not to mention the figures that will eventually come with basic repairs. Any donation goes a long way, and if you’ve made it to the end of this very dramatic retelling from Megan’s college roommate, do us a favor and click the “DONATE” button!