Help Phyllis Restore Her Home
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An 83 year old college teacher paying 54,000+ out of pocket? I cannot and will not stand by and watch this happen to my grandmother.
On March 18th 2019, my 83 year old grandmother Phyllis Armendariz's home was severely damaged while her and her two daughters were away. Her grandson was involved in a police standoff resulting in over 10 canisters of tear gas being shot through several of her homes windows, damaging the walls, littering her home in toxic fumes, glass, etc. The basement was hosed down to the point that the swat team tracked thick mud all over her house. A thorough search took place, which resulted in absolutely nothing other than the police making a horrible mess even worse- plus exposing more of her personal belongings to the toxic chemicals. After the whole situation was over with, the police simply told her to air out her home... and sorry about the mess- which they left her 5 paper bags for her to put the glass in. While speaking with her insurance company she was alarmed to learn that not only should the home( which she was standing in at this point) be left immediately, especially for her health and safety, but that it would need to be professionally cleaned and she could not live there until that had been done.
That is the short, simplified version of a long, stressful ordeal.
I never want to be against the police. I just truly believe in this scenario that my grandmother was treated unfairly for a situation that was out of her control. Was her grandson to blame for a lot of this? Absolutely. Were the police wrong for leaving out very important details about her home? Yep. She was told insurance was not going to cover the expenses other than a month of living in a hotel- which has run out. She was told the city would not pay for it. Also that she couldn't sue, because there was no chance of winning.
What is her solution? An 83 year old college teacher paying 54,000+ out of pocket? The 54,000 is JUST to cover the cost of the home being cleaned by the decontamination professionals. It does not include, hotel stay, replacing items in her home (she was only able to save around 10% of the contents), care for her pets who lived through the ordeal and are currently in foster care, and how about a bit for the trouble and stress which she can't have with her health condition.
My grandmother is an incredible person. She loves God, her family, her pets, her culture, and her job. Only a few years ago she went back to college for her teaching degree so she could teach her first language Ho-Chunk at Little Priest Tribal College in Nebraska. She literally lives in MN and drives to Nebraska with her daughter once a week, stays a couple of days and comes back every single week during the school year. Meanwhile, she constantly powers through a disease called myasthenia gravis, making her facial muscles weak and limiting her vision. She is the kind of person who never leaves a family member without food or shelter regardless of how they came upon their circumstances. Always offering her traditional wisdom.
Please donate. She may be no one to you, but to her family, to her students, her school, she's an irreplaceable inspiration. Someone who has lived through hardship, tragedy, and still perseveres.
https://www.indianz.com/News/2018/05/10/winnebago-tribe-works-to-revitalize-hoch.asp
On March 18th 2019, my 83 year old grandmother Phyllis Armendariz's home was severely damaged while her and her two daughters were away. Her grandson was involved in a police standoff resulting in over 10 canisters of tear gas being shot through several of her homes windows, damaging the walls, littering her home in toxic fumes, glass, etc. The basement was hosed down to the point that the swat team tracked thick mud all over her house. A thorough search took place, which resulted in absolutely nothing other than the police making a horrible mess even worse- plus exposing more of her personal belongings to the toxic chemicals. After the whole situation was over with, the police simply told her to air out her home... and sorry about the mess- which they left her 5 paper bags for her to put the glass in. While speaking with her insurance company she was alarmed to learn that not only should the home( which she was standing in at this point) be left immediately, especially for her health and safety, but that it would need to be professionally cleaned and she could not live there until that had been done.
That is the short, simplified version of a long, stressful ordeal.
I never want to be against the police. I just truly believe in this scenario that my grandmother was treated unfairly for a situation that was out of her control. Was her grandson to blame for a lot of this? Absolutely. Were the police wrong for leaving out very important details about her home? Yep. She was told insurance was not going to cover the expenses other than a month of living in a hotel- which has run out. She was told the city would not pay for it. Also that she couldn't sue, because there was no chance of winning.
What is her solution? An 83 year old college teacher paying 54,000+ out of pocket? The 54,000 is JUST to cover the cost of the home being cleaned by the decontamination professionals. It does not include, hotel stay, replacing items in her home (she was only able to save around 10% of the contents), care for her pets who lived through the ordeal and are currently in foster care, and how about a bit for the trouble and stress which she can't have with her health condition.
My grandmother is an incredible person. She loves God, her family, her pets, her culture, and her job. Only a few years ago she went back to college for her teaching degree so she could teach her first language Ho-Chunk at Little Priest Tribal College in Nebraska. She literally lives in MN and drives to Nebraska with her daughter once a week, stays a couple of days and comes back every single week during the school year. Meanwhile, she constantly powers through a disease called myasthenia gravis, making her facial muscles weak and limiting her vision. She is the kind of person who never leaves a family member without food or shelter regardless of how they came upon their circumstances. Always offering her traditional wisdom.
Please donate. She may be no one to you, but to her family, to her students, her school, she's an irreplaceable inspiration. Someone who has lived through hardship, tragedy, and still perseveres.
https://www.indianz.com/News/2018/05/10/winnebago-tribe-works-to-revitalize-hoch.asp
Organizer
Jess Evans
Organizer
Mankato, MN
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