A Big Project For Skilled Hands And Big Hearts

There are so many things happening here on the hurricane relief front that I really cannot tell you about all of them. BUT … I would like to invite all of you to consider gathering up some skilled labor and coming down to help with a special project

Imagine you are in your mid 80′s. You and your wife have government checks for income. Truthfully, you may have a few issues that make simple things a little more difficult than they are for most people. But you have lived in your home for a long time and even though it’s no palace, life is pretty good.

 Then Katrina hits on August 29, 2005 (19 Months Ago this week!). Your home has four – five feet of water in it. Your neighbor took a picture of your house from his vantage point. It looks like this (and this is sometime after the water had receded):

You did what everyone else did … you applied for grants and worked through FEMA’s paper work. They brought you a camper to live in. Remember, you’re in your mid-80s. And for whatever else has happened, there is no place like home. So you decide you can hang out in the camper during the day, but you’re going to sleep in your house at night. Yes, the house above. Here’s a few more shots that illustrate that the house shifted and is no longer stable.

Another problem develops. You have talked to many of your friends and neighbors. Guess what? The grant money they have recieved is all gone because of rip-off contractors who took enormous amounts of money and then skipped town. Recognizing that you may not understand all there is to know, and having a good amount of money to work with, you put it away and do nothing. That’s at least one good strategy to avoid getting ripped off. However, it does not get your home repaired. Actually, it can’t really be repaired. Still, it’s all you’ve got.

Ninteen Months Later, the Red Cross makes a call to David Kilbern. Like a thousand other people, they ask him the question: Can You Help? Now if you know David Kilbern, you know that elderly people have a special place in his heart. Especially two elderly people who have out of fear held on to their funds not knowing what to do. David talks to the Smiths. He assures them he will never rip them off. They have the funds, which is good. We can get the workers.

And so the challenge. A big project for skilled hands and big hearts. We are going to build the Smiths a new house. Not a palace, and not a big house, but one that will be sufficient for them to live out their days.

David Kilbern & Mr. Smith

 David asked me to tell you this story. Can you help? We want to begin as soon as possible. Let’s make a big difference in this elderly couple’s lives. Call David for more information (his phone number is on our WEBSITE).