URGENT HELP FOR JONI WHITE IN UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES

URGENT HELP NEEDED FOR JONI WHITE

I am posting and setting up this urgent request for help with permission for Joni White, my friend of 52 years. To all that know her, you know how generous, kind, and special she is. To those that don't please, give me 5 minutes of your time to share this true story.

Joni is a native and resident in West Virginia. She has been my friend for over 52 years. I have had the privilege of loving her and all of her family. She served in the USARMY and served our nation faithfully. When she completed her enlistment she returned to West Virginia and worked for the state of WV government. She met her husband, known as T, Anthony White, married and raised 2 beautiful children. About 9 years ago, Joni began to have health issues and became disabled with Lymphedema unable to work full time. Joni had to stop full time work and busied herself when able in doing some floral creations. She found joy and it helped as a coping mechanism in dealing with her disability. Several years ago she started a part time business creating custom wreaths and floral designs, working out of her home garage that T had helped to make into a small shop. She would push herself each day to get up and keep moving. T, her husband, supported her endeavor, and encouraged her entrepreneurial spirit by helping her at different venues and artisan shows. He saw the happiness that her floral work brought her. For Joni, as her physical disability worsened she found solace and would push forward each day in being able to express herself through the creativity of her custom wreaths. Around Nov. in 2024 Joni began to have severe hip issues created from the lymphedema and was walking with the aid of a cane. T and she knew it was time to stop with the small business pursuit and event shows. Joni would soon be limited to working out of her shop in their home garage only as a hobby when good days with her health would permit. Their home was a place of refuge. A beautiful split level two-story home with the downstairs of the back of home built into the hill having a cmu block back wall supporting all of the upper back second floor of the home

The following month in late December 2024 T became very sick and was in and out of the hospital through March 29th where he sadly passed away. Of course you can well imagine the shock and grief at the passing away of T. What many of you don't know and the urgency of this request for help is that one and a half week prior to T passing, Joni was preparing to go to the hospital, she exited the house through the garage, upon opening the door, to her shock and disbelief, the whole block wall in the back of her garage shop had collapsed / fallen in !! The dirt of the hill fully exposed. That wall was part of a support wall under their upstairs master bedroom.  She contacted the homeowners insurance to notify, and get help. This occurred 12 days prior to her husband passing away. He was in intensive care at this time.  Joni found herself on an emotional rollercoaster. Her cup was to the point of unbearable to carry. She was in physical pain with her legs and hip, emotional pain with her husband's sickness, and now mental pain with dealing with her home crisis and homeowners insurance. At first they (insurance) said the home would be covered and they would assign someone to her case and get an adjuster out to her home. They would get back to her asap.  Joni shared a text picture of the wall fallen in/collapsed which I am sharing with you. I begged her to get a structural engineer out to assess and not wait on the insurance company fearing for her safety. Joni did and he told her that all of the whole back downstairs foundation walls were failing and would have to be replaced. He said it was fixable but it would be extensive work requiring heavy equipment to tear out back upper concrete patio and dig dirt out 8 feet down to repair.  He believed time was of the essence.  Later that week, T passed away and she now had to deal with the over-

whelming grief plus handling a proper burial for her beloved.  

Joni continued to call her homeowners insurance and shared what the structural engineer she hired told her. She then found out that her case had been reassigned to another agent. When she was finally able to connect with the new agent, he informed her that they believed that their homeowners policy would not cover this structure wall collapse and that they would be sending a third party adjuster out to see and write up a report. It would now be another 2 to 3 weeks before the adjuster could come. 

I shared the picture of her damaged home with a contractor and a builder here in NC that I worked with in the past. One thought the home may have to be condemned and possibly have to be torn down. If only there was a way to help her, to be there to comfort her but, I, like many of you, no longer live in West Va..  I would watch the weather and pray diligently for her each time I saw rain in the forecast for her area. I would pray for God to hold that hill and dirt back and protect her.  I am a woman of faith. I know the goodness of God and have personally experienced his faithfulness and would share with Joni.  I would pray with her for the Lord to help her with her sickness, to comfort with the loss of T, her beloved husband and to encourage my friend, during this difficult time.

Joni finally received notice that the insurance third party adjuster would be there around the week of April 27th and they would contact her to schedule. That will make it over 5 weeks waiting and dealing with homeowners insurance while now grieving the loss of her husband.  In the meantime, she was in such pain with her hip and could hardly get up from a seated position. She was scheduled for a hip replacement in early June. She received a call and they had an opening and could do the surgery sooner on the first week in May. On April 29th the adjuster came to the house and assessed the damage. She told Joni she would be going back to her office in Kentucky, reviewing her notes, pictures and writing up a report and that she would let her know something.  On May 5th , the night before surgery, Joni heard from the insurance company and they denied her claim. Joni had her hip surgery with a few issues that have cleared up and is home. She has recovered and is doing good and is now pain free in her hip. Praise the Lord !!  She has reached out to a couple of contractors to find out what it will cost for the repair and has been quoted 90,000.00 to 110,000.00 dollars to repair this issue with both recommending she do something asap. 

My friend, our friend...our sister is devastated from what feels like one gut punch to another. The overwhelming grief with the loss of her soul mate and husband, T -Anthony, the delay after delay after delay and then the denial of claim from homeowners insurance. Her home that she and Anthony have lived in since they were married and raised their children is at risk of further severe damage and could so easily be all lost if not addressed quickly. The one place she found solace, her little shop in the garage now damaged and unable to use. Anthony had a small life insurance policy, Joni used much of that for his burial. They had used much of their savings in starting up Joni's small business purchasing inventory, equipment, and supplies. They still have a mortgage on the house. It's all so overwhelming....and T -Anthony, was still actively employed prior to his sickness in December. She now has a loss of income.  As I prayed to the highest, Father God, Joni needs help, she needs a miracle. My heart aches for her for this radical life- changing situation she is in.

 In a 6 month period Joni has endured; ~ diagnosed with worsening lymphedema and hip replacement now needed

~ Will have to close and stop her small business

~ Her husband T gets sick and is in and out of hospital for the next 3 1/2 months

~ Part of back structural support wall on home fallen /collapsed - caved in

~ husband passed away

~ homeowners insurance delayed, delayed, delayed, and then denied claim.

~ Adjusting to unplanned and unprepared spousal income loss

Some may say, well she should have or I would have, or could have. At this point and time, what does it matter...should have, could have, would have...you can't unscramble eggs.  Our sister, your friend and mine needs help with mercy and grace to get through this. I was praying, ..Oh God, how can I help? I've worked in construction and I have some knowledge. I wish I lived back home to help get some support posts put in place temporarily . I wish I could start helping by renting a concrete wet cutting saw to start cutting and tearing out the patio so as to start digging. I wish I was younger and stronger.  As I was talking to God , oh how I wish we were part of the Amish community right now. They are an amazing community and I admire how they support one another and can come together and build a barn in a day or two for their neighbor. Oh God, how can I help ?  This is so big and the repair cost is so great. It was in that moment of prayer that I had an epiphany. A still voice seemed to speak to my heart. You do have a community, through Facebook. Start a Go-fund me for Joni. Share her story. I must confess, I told the Lord she would never agree to it. I know her, we've been friends for over 52 years. He would have to prepare her heart but I was willing to ask her. The next morning I contacted Joni and asked If she would be willing to allow me to set up a go-fund me account and share her story. She humbly said yes and thanked me.

Please ... please help our sister, my friend and for many of you yours as well, in this overwhelming time. What is the goal you may ask? That her home is able to be repaired. I thought about how great our GOD is. He was once teaching and healing a group of over 5,000 men and that number doesn't include the women and children. It had been a long day and his disciples came to him and said , the people are hungry, you need to send them away so they can find a small town or village to eat.  Jesus replied, you feed them. The disciples found a small boy with 5 barley loaves of bread and two small fish. They told Jesus but what is this to feed so many. Are you thinking I want to help but, I only have such an insignificant amount, what good would that do towards such a great need.  Please give what you can. Maybe you know of someone there in the Kanawha valley who you could share this story with and who might come and offer assistance or sound advice on rebuilding the foundation wall. Whatever you can offer, no matter how small or insignificant you may think it is ....given in the spirit of love ... It is amazing what the Lord can do with it. He promises you will be blessed in your giving. Jesus said it is better to give than receive, boy is that ever truth! It is tough being on the receiving side in need. If you can give, Thank God ! Please share Joni's story on your Facebook page or any other social media account. Thank you all in advance for any and all help and prayers!! Both Joni and I are hugging you !!