Help This Former Marine Repair His Home

For a Marine who has served three combat tours in Iraq, how can he truly feel at home after combat if his house is literally crumbling around him?

Jason is a Marine who has given everything his country has asked. He enlisted after 9/11, fighting in some of the bloodiest battles of the Iraqi War including the Battles of Nasiriyah and Fallujah. He was there to protect the peace when Iraq had its first ever democratic election, and he deployed for Hurricane Katrina when his countrymen were flooded and in need.

Jason’s story doesn’t end there. His wife Genella used to be a college professor, but she suffered major complications after her last pregnancy requiring 42 surgeries. Now with Crohn’s Disease, she has to eat out of a gastric feeding tube. Her retirement savings were quickly eaten up by medical bills, and the loss of income financially squeezed the family.

Jason earns a modest military income, however, all too often, Marines like Jason give up their futures to keep us safe and free. While Jason was busy being deployed, his peers were gaining skills for civilian life which allowed them to out-compete him for most jobs. With the wars of the past 13 years in Iraq and Afghanistan coming to a close, Jason and his family are an economic casualty in the transition to peace.

At some point, ‘thank you for your service’ is just not enough. Instead of thanking him, we need to do something tangible. Get personally involved. We need to make our ‘thank you’ action-oriented.  Learn more about Jason and his family and how you can help on BarnRaisings.  We need to raise $8,500 by August 1st, so please donate today!

THANK YOU for Giving Deb her Independence!

Last month, we asked for your help and you answered our call! Deb, 57, is a career nurse suffering from a neurological disease that limits the use of her legs, and she is currently confined to a wheelchair. We asked you to help us by donating or volunteering so we could build a ramp for Deb, making it possible for her leave her home. With the support of many generous donors and hard work of volunteers, we were able to raise the funding needed to design and install a ramp for Deb through BarnRaisings! On January 19th & 20th, our volunteers braved the cold to install the ramp for Deb, restoring her independence. THANK YOU!

We would like to give a special thanks to Jon Rol, a general contractor, who volunteered to help install Deb’s ramp. Jon brought his tools and expertise, both of which we appreciate!

Help Build a Wheelchair Ramp for Deb

Deb, 57, is a career nurse suffering from a neurological disease that limits the use of her legs.  She is currently confined to a wheelchair and cannot leave her home because she does not have a wheelchair ramp.  Deb needs our help so she can safely get in and out of her home.  To learn more about Deb and how you can help, please visit Barnraisings.

Help South Minneapolis Siblings Repair their Lifelong Home

Katherine, Kristine, and David are all siblings, they have lived in a triplex in South Minneapolis for thirty-five years. Twenty-three years ago they were awarded a community grant to work on their home. The contractor left in the middle of the project and never finished the home. The siblings have been living in unfinished conditions, trying to fight the injustice that had been done to them, by the contractor leaving them in the middle of a project, after having been paid in full prior to completion of the project. They have recently reached out to community groups, including Rebuilding Together Twin Cities, to have work done in their home to make it a functional living space for them. We are planning partner with other community groups to provide this family with a safe and healthy home.

All three siblings suffer from chronic back pain and are unable to work. Kristine is an artist and uses the main floor as her art studio. She paints with almost any medium.

Please help us help this family return their home to a livable condition by making a donation today through BarnRaisings.