Hi, my name is Jim and I’m fundraising for a family in need of your help. William and Nichole Rabun are a young married couple with four kids. They are wonderful parents and hard workers who just need a break!

In May of 2022; mold was discovered throughout the house they were renting. With the landlord seeming uninterested in the situation, the Rabun’s started searching for a new place to live. Unfortunately, they were unable to find any apartment or home for rent to accommodate their family of 6.

Concerned about the mold and their health; the Rabun’s had a quality air test done. Results of testing showed the air to be unhealthy; worse in some areas than others. It was recommended not to stay in the house for long periods. With this information; the landlord set a date to come and take care of the mold issue.

Believing the landlord was coming to fix the problem, the Rabun’s bought a small camper on loan to live in while waiting for the landlord to correct the issues. Keeping the camper in the driveway, the family would still utilize the house’s kitchen and bath. Instead of dealing with the mold issue, their landlord served the Rabun’s an eviction notice.

The Rabun’s were faced with needing a new place to live and not a whole lot of time to evacuate.

Not only unable to find accommodations for their family of 6, but they also found no available local storage units for their belongings. During this time, their minivan (their only vehicle, with over 300k miles on it) began breaking down, one problem after another.

Mid August, with time running out, they found a local house on Land Contract. Their thinking was to store all their belongings in the garage, live in the camper and be moved in by October. Once school started; the camper idea was not going to work. They then moved in with family, which placed a total of 13 people under one roof. Thinking it would just be a few weeks; they were out of options.

The house that they thought only needed a deep cleaning and power, gas and water turned on, would prove to be a major project. With power on; reality would reveal a place well beyond just needing some TLC! Even an experienced house-flipper would have cringed at the condition. The walls needed major repair and insulation, the stairs were unsafe and needed replacing, the plumbing wasn't in working order, the electrical was convoluted and unsafe, and a lot of debris had to be removed. It was evident having the house livable and in move-in condition by Christmas seemed to be a long shot.

With only one income; their paycheck would go into materials for the house.

As the weather started to change; all their belongings that were packed into the garage would now be exposed to wet and cold weather and critters looking for places to stay warm. They were able to move most of their bagged and boxed clothing, necessities and personal items into the camper. The rest remained in the garage.

Their van would continue to have issues and divert money needed for the house. Now overheating and grinding; the van needed a new radiator, brakes and rotors. Borrowing a vehicle to go anywhere was now a daily occurrence. With the stress and anxiety building over the vehicle and their crowded living situation, the family decided to move into their home on December 7th. We've been working hard on the home and they now have a fully functioning bathroom and some furniture and beds.

The kitchen is functional with a refrigerator, temporary kitchen sink and microwave.

The walls have been properly insulated and drywalled, the stairs are now replaced and safe for the kiddos to make their way upstairs.

There is no working furnace in the home; currently, space heaters are being used with windows being covered in 6mil plastic to keep heat in.

Although livable; this house is still far from being home.

I’ve been assisting them with as much as I can and in sharing their story I’ve encountered kind individuals asking how they too can help. My goal in creating this fundraiser is to raise the funds to allow for a furnace to be purchased and installed and then get the family a different reliable used vehicle. Please help bring this family a little Christmas magic; from my heart, I Thank You!