Wisdom House Roof and Grounds Rescue

Will you join me in offering encouragement, inspiration and hope to others by sustaining the spiritually healing ministry and work of Wisdom House in Sandy, Oregon? This is a request for money to replace roofs for the house and garage besieged by dry rot after heavy rains, in order to benefit Wisdom House , Inc, a 501(c)3 religious non-profit organization of the State of Minnesota since 1976, doing interfaith ministry as Wisdom House West, a registered corporation in the State of Oregon since 1984.  All donations to the work are tax deductible, and any donation will help make an impact. Thanks in advance for your contribution, no matter how small it may seem to be, to this cause.  Every dollar, every prayer, every gesture of good will is a manifestation of the Grace of God and deeply appreciated. By offering financial support you will be sustaining my physical life here as a caregiver to souls through pastoral counseling and the healing words offered through books and Online blogs.

Western Oregon has been experiencing spring floods and rain damage of a catastrophic nature for some of us. The grounds and main building of Wisdom House near Mt. Hood have taken a beating from torrential rains and decades of loving use. Some time over the winter the  northwest quadrant of the roof of the house suddenly gave way to a large hole which appeared in the flat roof overhang, with water pouring out of it and wood rotting all around and inside it. Because it is a side of the house that is not in the normal flow of movement I did not know it had happened until the gardeners returned for spring clean up and showed it to me. It is horrifying to see and frightening to live under.

Four roofing companies have left bids and told me that the entire roof has deteriorated and is in danger of imminent collapse, and all the scuppers, plumbing boots, rotten plywood, skin and flashings will have to be replaced before a new roof surface can be applied.  The roof has separated from the material beneath it and both are saturated.  Water continues to pour off the roof all around the structure.  The same thing is happening to the garage. Besides that, dry rot around the enclosed back porch, front door, back door, garage door, walk-in door and damage to the doors themselves will require new doors and restoration work around them, and all  around the rotted back porch siding.  About four damaged trees in the orchard will have to be cut down. Major pruning of the trees and shrubs close to the house and dropping leaves and twigs onto the roof needs to be done before repairs to the roof can begin. Broken masonry and damaged concrete will have to be repaired. I have waited too long to ask for help, but now I am asking.  It is not too late to save the house, but every day of delay increases the threat to it.

Calculating the lowest bid for the house and detached garage roofs and the other necessary repairs, plus replacement of old windows and damaged siding,  a conservative estimate of $35,000 would restore this sacred place that has hosted Holy Eucharists, weddings and countless other sacramental and liturgical services, as well as providing a nurturing environment for pastoral counseling and other soul care bonds. It continues as the earthly home of the resident priest whose primary ministry in retirement is soul care through healing words. I'm asking for less than what is needed for restoration, and only for what is needed for survival. 

Your donations of any amount would be tax deductible and deeply appreciated, the saving grace needed to sustain this sanctuary for many and the only home for Alla Bozarth, author of Life is Goodbye/Life is Hello: Grieving Well through All Kinds of Loss, Womanpriest: A Personal Odyssey, Lifelines: Threads of Grace through Seasons of Change,  Stars in Your Bones: Emerging Signposts on Our Spiritual Journeys, and many more books of prose and poetry, with many yet ready to be published should readers indicate an interest in more healing words.

There are countless books advocating good stewardship and an awareness of kinship with all life, with stories about inspiring individual journeys. One asks why add more to what is already there? I can only answer that each writer brings a unique voice to her or his work, and different people are drawn to different voices. Judging from the generosity of my readers over the years, my voice seems to have helped many along the way. For that, I am grateful. I would like to live on in this blessed place so that it can continue to feed and inspire my soul, and allow me to continue to pass on the beauty and blessing of the Grace of God to others.  Can you contribute to that honest need and goal? Not many visitors come these days because of my current health limitations, but everyone who does come feels blessed by the beauty and holiness of the environment.  And my neighbor's daughter recently asked me to officiate at her wedding next summer, so hope for the future is alive in such ministry-based plans.