On Tuesday morning, a tornado tore through Bronson, MI, and changed my life in an instant. My house was hit, and all three of my barns were destroyed. I lost some of my animals—my geese were crushed while nesting, and I struggled to reach my chickens because the barn roof had collapsed near the entrance. My goats survived, and I’m grateful for that, but the devastation is overwhelming. My fence was damaged, the corncrib roof landed on it, and a log hit my car door. The storm windows on my porch were yanked out, and my big barn is missing all its walls. Strangely, both goat stalls are still standing, which I believe is why my goats made it through. I never imagined all three barns would be gone at once; I always thought I’d have at least one left to move the animals into if disaster struck.

Now, I’m facing the huge task of cleaning up and rebuilding. The funds I raise will go toward providing shelter for my animals so they can stay dry, repairing my fence, and removing all the debris—wood, metal, and everything else the tornado left behind. I want to thank anyone who can help me. I’ve never done anything like this before, and it’s not in my nature to ask for help. But I’m devastated and overwhelmed by the scale of the damage. I need to step up for my animals and my family. I care deeply for them, and after years of dreaming about returning to country life with my wife and animals, this was always my worst fear. Your support would mean the world to us as we try to recover and rebuild.