Retired Veteran/Firefighter Help Save Home

My father, my hero! On October 31, 2023 my dad will turn 80 years old, an important milestone because it is the point at which a person has achieved a lot in their life. He truly is the most selfless person I know. My father served in the United States Army, and upon his return he spent the next 30 years saving lives as a firefighter. I remember asking dad why he felt compelled to enter a burning building and he replied, “because it won’t put itself out.” He was never one to gloat or expect recognition. He has influenced my life tremendously with his unyielding courage, integrity, loyalty and selfless love for everyone around him.  

     My sister, mom and myself have always been his number one priority and he was determined to provide for his family even if that meant having to work multiple jobs to pay the bills. We were raised in a 3 flat apartment building that he co-owned with family. It may have been small but for all of us it was home.  

     Dad always dreamed of having a small home on a lake. As time went by he saved up enough money to buy a piece of vacant land on a small lake. Years later he built a small 2 bedroom home for our family to enjoy on the weekends, and by the time he retired he took out a loan to make the home a little bigger so that his 4 grandchildren could enjoy the home as well. His dream had finally come true - he left the city and moved to his home on the lake. Years of hard work, long hours and multiple jobs had finally paid off.

     Sadly, at the age of 80 my father is struggling to afford his home that he worked so hard for. His pension check was never enough to survive on so he relied heavily on his small window cleaning business for supplemental income. When covid came to light the window company went out of business leaving him with very little income to survive on. He now has to make the daunting decision to sell his dream home.  I would also like to add that just this month he got a job as a butcher for Piggly Wiggly.  Unfortunately, after 2 weeks he had to give notice because of back pain.  Again, this shows how proud he is and how determined he is to continue to provide for his family.

    My sister and I have helped as much as we could financially, and our hearts cannot fathom the thought of our father having to leave his home. Maybe a year from now the economy will change or my sister and I will be in a better position to help even more financially.

    We are hoping to buy him some time with your donations & prayers. Thank you for allowing me to share our father’s story with you.

Kind regards,