Repair my parents flooded home
Donation protected
Who am I? My name is Sherri Flemings and I live in Ottawa, ON Canada. I was made in Cape Breton, and raised in Nova Scotia. I'm currently in Nova Scotia managing the house issues and repair efforts.
I am raising funds for my parents: Fred & Sarah Flemings.
On Monday October 10th a storm (the tail end of Matthew) dumped over a month's worth of rain in just one day on Cape Breton. My parents home was in one of the hardest hit parts of Sydney, and their home and their neighbours homes have been flashed all over the news to highlight some of the devastation.
UPDATE: January 30, 2017
After months of waiting, my parents DFA application has been rejected. We have written letters, a blog post, been in touch with the media and have been in contact with a few politicians who are working behind the scenes on our behalf. Unfortunately the Cape Breton Flood story is no longer of interest to the media channels I've spoken to and going through politicians/government departmnets means more waiting with no assurance about the outcome. We are very concerned that the house has been sitting, deteriorating and growing mould. We've decided not to wait any longer and resume our orignal action plan to repair the house.
This May my dad retires and their current apartment lease ends (and will no longer be within budget on a fixed income). Our goal is to repair the flood damage so we can have the No Occupancy order lifted. Then we can resume our original renovations (pre-flood) so my parents have a home to live in when my dad retires.
My family and a few friends are planning to do all the repair work we can ourselves, however we are looking for skilled tradespeople who would be willing to help out. If you can lend a hand to help us reduce our costs please send me a message.
I plan to keep this image updated regularly. It includes GoFundMe donations as well as the $5000.00 paid out from insurance.
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On Sunday morning (Oct 16) my dad suffered a heart attack. Most likely brought on by the stress of all the flood damage and lack of help from insurance or authorities. They flew him to Halifax right away and my brother and mom drove to be with him while I stayed behind in Sydney to try and take care of house stuff.
On Tuesday Oct 18th CBRM inspected the home and put up a no occupancy order.
Since we were waiting for insurance to kick in, not much has been cleaned out of the basement. I have been talking with some volunteers who are willing to help us get stuff cleaned and out of the basement which will help reduce the costs but everything that was down there needs to be replaced since the sewage and water was up to the basement ceiling. This won't cover the entire cost of the damage but will help with our immediate needs.
The money raised will be used to:
- cover cleaning costs & safety supplies for working in the house until it's decontaminated. (respirator masks, gloves, tyvek suits, etc)
- replacement of the major big ticket items that were destroyed such as oil tank(needs to be purged and cleaned), furnace, hot water tank, (we may replace with a heat pump instead if possible), washer & dryer, sump pump(maybe we're not sure if it's still working), dehumidifier
- all the basement electrical was under water for 2 days, box included so the wiring and box needs to be replaced, as well as the line that leads to the box outside
- there were a lot of tools and building material down there as well since we were in the process of redoing the kitchen and upstairs flooring getting the house updated before my dad retires next year... if I can salvage or replace any of this I would love to do that as well
- since the power is off everything in the fridge was lost
- assistance if my parents need to cover expenses due to lost wages (and reduced income while my dad recovers)
Withdrawal plan to get the funds from the campaign to the ultimate beneficiary/ies: the money is being directed to my personal cheqing account as I am staying with my parents and acting on their behalf while my dad recovers and is unable to handle this on his own. I will provide photos and price for all purchases made with donation funds.
We may be eligible for some flood relief money but it's a waiting game and the longer we wait the more damage is being done as it sits with no power and everything still covered in sludge in the basement. Bacteria and mold are only going to get worse. I am able to cover some immediate costs with my credit card but I don't have anywhere near enough to make a dent so the sooner I can raise money the better.
If by some miracle I'm able to sort something out with insurance, or flood relief covers the entire cost of damages or we raise more than we need I plan to donate whatever we don't need back into the community, neighbours and volunteer organizations that have been working to help my parents and their neighbours. Salvation Army & Samaritan's Purse so far. There are definitely others and I plan to include updates on what the money has been spent on as we move forward.
My friends and family and others who know me might be a bit surprised by this campaign. I am not the sort of person who has ever asked others for money. I was raised by 2 hard working and generous parents who taught us to do for ourselves and never ask for a handout. They are probably going to kill me if they find out I'm doing this for them. If the situation weren't so desperate I would not be doing this. I am just hoping that we can save the family home and my parents have a safe place to live. This is the home my grandparents lived in since my dad was 2 years old and it's where he and my mom were planning to spend their retirement years together.
I am even willing to barter if we can. I'm a software / web app developer with mad baking skillz and a knack for knitting. I am willing to trade these skills for any work you could assist us with. (certified electrician, heat pump installation, building inspection, help with cleaning and salvaging any of my dad's hand tools or boxes of kitchen tiles we were about to install).
I don't even think the words Thank You can express how grateful I am for any donation you are able to make, but thank you so so so much for any help you can offer, even just sharing this if you're not in a position to help financially.
If you have any questions, suggestions or need to know more details about the damage or to verify that I am a real person before you can donate please message me.
Update - my dad is recovering well with his new stent and he was discharged yesterday!!!! He's currently being doted on (aka annoyed) by 3 mother hens (my mom, bro and me)
Thanks
I am raising funds for my parents: Fred & Sarah Flemings.
On Monday October 10th a storm (the tail end of Matthew) dumped over a month's worth of rain in just one day on Cape Breton. My parents home was in one of the hardest hit parts of Sydney, and their home and their neighbours homes have been flashed all over the news to highlight some of the devastation.
UPDATE: January 30, 2017
After months of waiting, my parents DFA application has been rejected. We have written letters, a blog post, been in touch with the media and have been in contact with a few politicians who are working behind the scenes on our behalf. Unfortunately the Cape Breton Flood story is no longer of interest to the media channels I've spoken to and going through politicians/government departmnets means more waiting with no assurance about the outcome. We are very concerned that the house has been sitting, deteriorating and growing mould. We've decided not to wait any longer and resume our orignal action plan to repair the house.
This May my dad retires and their current apartment lease ends (and will no longer be within budget on a fixed income). Our goal is to repair the flood damage so we can have the No Occupancy order lifted. Then we can resume our original renovations (pre-flood) so my parents have a home to live in when my dad retires.
My family and a few friends are planning to do all the repair work we can ourselves, however we are looking for skilled tradespeople who would be willing to help out. If you can lend a hand to help us reduce our costs please send me a message.
I plan to keep this image updated regularly. It includes GoFundMe donations as well as the $5000.00 paid out from insurance.
---
On Sunday morning (Oct 16) my dad suffered a heart attack. Most likely brought on by the stress of all the flood damage and lack of help from insurance or authorities. They flew him to Halifax right away and my brother and mom drove to be with him while I stayed behind in Sydney to try and take care of house stuff.
On Tuesday Oct 18th CBRM inspected the home and put up a no occupancy order.
Since we were waiting for insurance to kick in, not much has been cleaned out of the basement. I have been talking with some volunteers who are willing to help us get stuff cleaned and out of the basement which will help reduce the costs but everything that was down there needs to be replaced since the sewage and water was up to the basement ceiling. This won't cover the entire cost of the damage but will help with our immediate needs.
The money raised will be used to:
- cover cleaning costs & safety supplies for working in the house until it's decontaminated. (respirator masks, gloves, tyvek suits, etc)
- replacement of the major big ticket items that were destroyed such as oil tank(needs to be purged and cleaned), furnace, hot water tank, (we may replace with a heat pump instead if possible), washer & dryer, sump pump(maybe we're not sure if it's still working), dehumidifier
- all the basement electrical was under water for 2 days, box included so the wiring and box needs to be replaced, as well as the line that leads to the box outside
- there were a lot of tools and building material down there as well since we were in the process of redoing the kitchen and upstairs flooring getting the house updated before my dad retires next year... if I can salvage or replace any of this I would love to do that as well
- since the power is off everything in the fridge was lost
- assistance if my parents need to cover expenses due to lost wages (and reduced income while my dad recovers)
Withdrawal plan to get the funds from the campaign to the ultimate beneficiary/ies: the money is being directed to my personal cheqing account as I am staying with my parents and acting on their behalf while my dad recovers and is unable to handle this on his own. I will provide photos and price for all purchases made with donation funds.
We may be eligible for some flood relief money but it's a waiting game and the longer we wait the more damage is being done as it sits with no power and everything still covered in sludge in the basement. Bacteria and mold are only going to get worse. I am able to cover some immediate costs with my credit card but I don't have anywhere near enough to make a dent so the sooner I can raise money the better.
If by some miracle I'm able to sort something out with insurance, or flood relief covers the entire cost of damages or we raise more than we need I plan to donate whatever we don't need back into the community, neighbours and volunteer organizations that have been working to help my parents and their neighbours. Salvation Army & Samaritan's Purse so far. There are definitely others and I plan to include updates on what the money has been spent on as we move forward.
My friends and family and others who know me might be a bit surprised by this campaign. I am not the sort of person who has ever asked others for money. I was raised by 2 hard working and generous parents who taught us to do for ourselves and never ask for a handout. They are probably going to kill me if they find out I'm doing this for them. If the situation weren't so desperate I would not be doing this. I am just hoping that we can save the family home and my parents have a safe place to live. This is the home my grandparents lived in since my dad was 2 years old and it's where he and my mom were planning to spend their retirement years together.
I am even willing to barter if we can. I'm a software / web app developer with mad baking skillz and a knack for knitting. I am willing to trade these skills for any work you could assist us with. (certified electrician, heat pump installation, building inspection, help with cleaning and salvaging any of my dad's hand tools or boxes of kitchen tiles we were about to install).
I don't even think the words Thank You can express how grateful I am for any donation you are able to make, but thank you so so so much for any help you can offer, even just sharing this if you're not in a position to help financially.
If you have any questions, suggestions or need to know more details about the damage or to verify that I am a real person before you can donate please message me.
Update - my dad is recovering well with his new stent and he was discharged yesterday!!!! He's currently being doted on (aka annoyed) by 3 mother hens (my mom, bro and me)
Thanks
Organizer
Sherri Flemings
Organizer
Cape Breton, NS