THE HOUSE THAT BURNED DOWN ON JOSEPHINE

Can we do some kind of fundraiser to help him get the money he needs? Where we used to live a house burned down and one of the neighbors put flyers in everyone's mailbox listing what the family needed (clothing w/ sizes, bedding, furniture, etc) as well as asking for donations. A lot of people contributed, and it adds up quickly when a lot of people pitch in (just look what's been accomplished here in such a short amount of time!).

I'd be willing to print the flyers and help distribute them, as well as make a donation. I'm an accountant, so I can help with the funds, as long as there is someone who will oversee that with me to ensure that all money is handled appropriately. We can also ask local businesses, like the grocery stores, to donate. We could also have Mr. West set up a PayPal account, offering people another way to donate.

 

Crysta....
many of your suggestions show a great deal of thought and concern. I think that if we could generate as much as we could too offset the hard cash expenses, that would be great. I'd also wonder if any of the government fees, permitting, etc...could be set aside. It might take the support of the county commissioners, but...i do think we could generate that kind of support.

I'm not so sure that Paypal is an option, at this point. I think that a local bank/CU might be the best way to funnel the cash and monetary donations into an account for Mr. West, that he can access.

We have a good working coffee maker pots and pans, dishes, etc that we'd love for Mr. West to have. We haven't yet sent them as he has to have a place to store them.

As for the construction support clearing a foundation, and putting that in, I think we have enough building folks around that can assist.

 

I am so sorry but all I can offer right now is my labor. I wish I had not lost my job because I would have saved up some money and made a donation.

 

Got it. Thanks for correcting me because I've been working on the electricity, which meant I need the actual town/city that covers that address, which is Garner. I pay to the Town of Clayton so I knew he did not but I had to figure out the exact address location for the utility company.

Sherry

 

We're in an unincorporated portion of the county. Our electricity is from Progress Energy.

Monaco..no need for apologies to any of us. We'll keep each other company as pretty much I can offer some elbow grease and some off color jokes while we work. It's about helping a neighbor.

 

Yeah, figured it out after a while today. After calling them I found that they needed the account number and social security number so I PMd browneyedgirl to let her know as that was all I could do at the moment.

Will help in any way possible.

You're the best, Hat,
Sherry

 

I talked to Mr. West again last night, he is going down to LKQ to see the trailer today, I did tell him about getting it setup, I do not know anything about trailer hookups, I called Coopers mobile moving service, and the lady there was great, she did tell me that if he pays for the hookup and the permits, then the price would be between 400-500 dollars, if they go and pull the permits and set it up, its going to be around 1750. I am just passing the info along to all of you, i guess the middle man at this point, She said it can get set up on blocks, if anyone knows what kind of blocks it needs or where we might be able to find some, or people that can help do it, that would be great, now the permits, he needs to go to johnston county to get a permit for it to go onto his lot. not sure where you have to go to get that, again, i am illiterate with alot of this, just a friendly neighbor living behind his lot in island creek. I could go past my bank and see how to set up an account for him, again, i know you can do that, I worked in banking many years ago, just need to find out how, unless one of you know how to, and yes the flyers would be great. I put it on CL right after the fire happend and got a ton of replies, but then he didnt know what he was going to do, now he does, another thing is he is clearing a part of his lot, not where the house and trailer were at before, he is still sifting through all of it, but like he was telling me, he has three plots on his lot, the one where his house was at that burned down, one where a very old house sits, and he has been clearing out in front of that, then a smaller part, but that has a ton of stuff on it, he said he is not sure about getting a permit to move it to the part he cleared since they are all different plots, I told him is there a way to combine all of them or just ask to put it on that one he is clearing? Again, I do not know all of the legalities of it, and it seems like he needs help doing all of it, since he doesn't seem to know as well. So I am trying to take charge a little to move things a little faster for him, he has said about getting someone interested in buying his "junk cars," so I did tell LKQ about it, and they want to meet with him. That might help money wise with him, but he flat out told me he doesn't have any money the other night, I didn't know if he was one of these that look like they dont but they have a million in the bank, but he was saying about how much stuff is, and trying to get stuff and how much it is, then he flat out said, as you can see, i dont have any money. I do believe it, or he would have paid someone to come in and clean up, The only reason he has not cleared where the house was, he is still sifting, I used a pencil to write down his cell phone number, the pencil i used, he about looked like he was in shock then about to cry, I asked him if he was O.K, he said he had a pencil like that from his father that he kept, his dad died when he was a child, but he kept it all of these years, it had his dads business on it, and he is worried it burned up in the fire,, just alot of sentimental stuff he is trying to find, I asked him if he wanted me to help him, but i think he wants to do it himself, in fear someone might think something, like a pencil and trash it, and to him it has sentimental value, I am so sorry for writing a book, I guess i go overboard when i talk about him, I just want to help him out, do you have any suggestions as to what to do? I know my kids want to have a lemonade stand to raise money for him, which is nice,, Just going to try to keep this in peoples heads that though its been 3 weeks, that he still needs help, I know he is accepting bottled water, food for his dogs and rooster. I told him I would run him over a sandwich or two this weekend, since he will be out there all day, if anyone has any ideas or anything, let me know, i am sorta winging this, i know his dogs and him, so i do go over to his lot, as well as he has been coming over to my house , asking questions, and trying to find out some stuff to get all of this going. If any of you want , you can drop little stuff like gallon water or bottled water or anything else you think he might need, once we have a date for the trailer, i am putting another ad on CL for some free furniture items to be donated, I can let him know what people are donating, and I can just put it in my garage for now, I will not take peoples stuff that he does not need, someone else can use them. what do all of you think? Sorry about writing the huge long books on here, lol. just passing info on

 

Don't worry about the length of your post, that's what this board is for to help out in the community. If and when he gets the trailer moved over to his lot and things get settled in for him, (Hopefully I will be back to work by then) I will be able to offer my labor to help in any service area he will need to get set up I can do plumbing, some electrical, painting, carpentry, anything to help him get settled into his new home. I really tried to organize a trailer move for him but unfortunatly the people who I know do not have the resources to move a trailer of this size. I will be following this thread and any help you all need, let me know if I can, I will help out. You are a Blessing to Mr. West for all you have done to help him out.

 

There has been mention of setting up an account for donations. I'm sure there are many of us ready to donate if we just knew where to send it. So that may be a good step to take at this time. Also, once that is in place, let's not forget to ask our churches for help. I know my church has a fund set up for helping people in the community like this.

 

BrowneyedGal,

It's not the length...it's how it just appears jammed all together to my old eyes.

If you use smaller paragraphs and put in a line between them, it makes it easier, at least for me, to be able to take in the message, without getting bogged down.

Let us know what's going on....

H6

 

Don't want to read everything but is LKQ giving him the trailer? She is one of the nicest people around. She might do a trade on the cars for whatever the trailer needs to be placed on. Never hurts to ask. She also knows alot of construction and day laborers and might be able to trade items for labor. Just trying to think of things to help.

Sherry

 

sorry for writing a book, didnt mean to

 

If blocks are needed contact me I have plenty, just no time to move them right now. I am very close to the site.

 

HI Cadek, that would be great, thats one more step that would help out, thanks, going over to his lot today, to see what is going on, i know they are working on a power line to run to his lot.

 

Any Update on Mr West????

 

with the rain and all, not much, he hasnt come past, but it does look like they ran electric to his lot, so he might have that and water, anyone have cinder blocks, he is trying to clean the part of his lot, once this weather clears, i know i will see him