A Community Fundraiser May Save A Disabled Couple’s Termite Damaged Home
A Community Fundraiser May Save A Disabled Couple’s Termite Damaged Home
Imagine that you are sitting in your home one evening while watching television only to become startled by an extremely loud boom that sounds like a car crashing into your living room. Only the boom-like sound is not a runaway car, but the sound of your home falling six inches into the ground. Your floorboards, doors, windows and siding have all become destroyed as the result of years and years of continuous termite-induced damage. The home is now hazardous to live in, and insurance refuses to pay for the home’s extensive damage. Most of us can be grateful for never having fallen victim to such a tragic situation. However, for two Indiana residents, Mickey and Becky Sturgeon, this above described scenario is a reality.
In the town of Dale, an aging couple on disability, as well as their son, were ready to turn-in for the night when their home nearly collapsed. Despite the massive damage, none of the three were harmed in the incident. Unfortunately, the termite damaged home is in need of urgent repairs. For example, the beams that held up the floorboards snapped, several windows blew-out, most of the siding is missing and every door, window and floorboard will have to be replaced. In addition to these damages, the entire house sank six inches into the ground. The whole house will eventually have to be lifted. Obviously, the couple’s combined disability checks do not begin to cover the cost of the damages, and they do not have insurance for insect and rodent damage. Sadly, the couple and their son continue to live in the dangerously damaged home because they have nowhere else to go.
After several leading community members in Dale heard about Mickey and Becky’s situation, they insisted on setting up a fundraiser in an effort to raise the seven thousand dollars that it will cost to have the termite damages repaired. The Community Table board in Dale had convened in order to discuss how and when the fundraiser should take place. Several local churches and community centers set up a chicken dinner fundraiser, at which more than two thousand dollars was raised. Although this amount was more than expected, several community members are determined to set up more fundraisers until the goal of seven thousand dollars is reached.
Have you ever heard of a long time termite infestation that resulted in the near collapse of an entire home?
