Heat for the Holidays

Heat for the Holidays A Barry County, MI Family has lived without stable heat since 2009.

We are a group of people and businesses from all over the US who are rebuilding this family's home so they have a warm and stable home for Christmas 2021.

Unfortunately, we were unable to help this family to have a warm and safe home by the holidays as we had hoped. COVID, t...
11/21/2021

Unfortunately, we were unable to help this family to have a warm and safe home by the holidays as we had hoped. COVID, the cost of building materials, and the uncertainty of the economy prevented many businesses from being willing to provide materials and accept donations. As the daughter enters her senior year of high school, we will try to help them with whatever means we can to survive the winter. Currently they are facing an issue where a tree has fallen on the house and put two holes in the roof, one aprox 8×14 and one 6x6. We are looking for suggestions to patch the roof, and possibly repair the broken pipe that goes to the woodstove, which is how the family stays warm.

The condition of the roof is such that you CANNOT climb on the roof to access these. The particle board of the roof has deterioated, and the roof is composed of tarpaper and six layers of shingles. Some of the trusses are in decent condition, they appear to be set 6-7' apart based on the sagging of the roof in multiple areas.

Mom tells us how she has dealt with the unsightly mold for the past 20 years: "Back when I had time and wasn't in school...
06/16/2021

Mom tells us how she has dealt with the unsightly mold for the past 20 years: "Back when I had time and wasn't in school, I used to pick one room a day and bleach all the walls and ceiling. Where there was carpet, I used a gentle bleach and bleached the carpets at least once a month. Mold on the walls usually comes back in three days or so. I called the health department because I was concerned, and they told me it is because I live on a lake. Everyone has mold and it isn't a bad thing, just dirty looking. So eventually, I gave up and just let it be." We're mot sure the effects of mold, but we are sure we want to keep mold out of the new house. If you know a structural engineer who can help us complete the design for a dry foundation, let us know!

06/06/2021

Did you know that Barry County ranks 7th in the state for median income at $31,940? Our Mom has worked two full-time jobs and averaged $28,000 in income to support herself and her daughter since 2016. With graduation coming up and the economy returning, Mom will soon have the financial means to pay for utilities and a home with a furnace and running water!

This is the condition of the walls of the family's home. The wood has rotted away, leaving only the siding, and plaster....
06/06/2021

This is the condition of the walls of the family's home. The wood has rotted away, leaving only the siding, and plaster. Can you imagine living through multiple winters with no insulation and only a wood stove for heat?

05/18/2021

If you saw a homeless person on the street and gave them $2.00, but they took out a lighter and burned one of those dollars....how would you feel?
The project to help this family is also about helping the community. Donated money should not get burned up in fees to fundraising companies, especially those who have no ties to the community. It should be used to help the family, and the local businesses providing materials. That is why we will be asking for you to ONLY make donations to the participating local businesses to help pay off the materials and supply bills. The designers, engineers, administration, marketing and laborers are all volunteers who want to see every donation appropriated to the businesses who have out of pocket costs to help the family. We hope you will patronize the businesses of both the volunteers and suppliers to thank them for helping make your community better!

05/07/2021

Mom says people frequently ask her, "Why are you rebuilding your house, this place looks like the Taj Mahal compared to most homes in Barry and Eaton Counties." Unfortunately, it is disturbing to see/hear how many homes in Barry County have dirt floored living/sleeping areas, rotted away roofs, disintegrating ceilings, have no furnace or stable heat, and inadequate plumbing within the home. Even worse, the only form of help available when families reach out is to be told their children can be placed in foster care and their homes condemned. This family has lived without proper heat or running water for over a decade, we have no way of knowing how long other families within these counties have suffered as well. We would like to explore ways to help ALL of these families, possibly through grants or legislation. We'd love to hear your ideas on this!!!

A tremendous shout out to Jordon Huhn for helping us get the family's temporary housing moved and set up!!! It was quite...
05/06/2021

A tremendous shout out to Jordon Huhn for helping us get the family's temporary housing moved and set up!!! It was quite a task to move this large trailer and maneuver it perfectly into a small, narrow driveway. Thank you Jordon!!!

04/13/2021

We know you are anxious to send donations to help this family - we are chomping at the bit to get this project going too! Our delay is in finding suitable, hometown businesses to work with. Several AWESOME companies have stepped up already, including the foundation and HVAC contractors - they will both be taking donations soon. But we can't get started until we have some more important members to the team:
1) Lumber supplier
2) Metal roofing supplier/installation
3) Windows/Siding/Doors supplier

YOU CAN HELP BY SHARING THIS POST AND RECOMMENDING GREAT BUSINESSES IN THE AREA!

A big step for the family today!!! They purchased a camper for the daughter to stay in during the construction. Mom live...
04/11/2021

A big step for the family today!!! They purchased a camper for the daughter to stay in during the construction. Mom lives from her car for the majority of the week due to school and work, but now Mom will have a warm, dry place to sleep on the nights she comes home.

PLEASE HELP US FIND SOMEONE TO HAUL THE CAMPER ABOUT 25 MILES WITHIN BARRY COUNTY!!!

04/10/2021

The family had been without water for over 24 hours. Between work and school, mom has been down in the crawl space working to fix the wires on the control box to the well and get water going in the trickle line to the toilet and kitchen sink again. Her comments? "I am glad that it is above freezing to be working on this. Muddy crawlspace is much preferred to frozen pipes in the wall again."

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Richland, MI

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