We are home

We moved home about a month ago. It is so nice to be home again.

We are still unpacking but have everything we need.

My sister's home is still being repaired. She had no insurance and no help from FEMA for repairs so we are working on donations, if you can make a donation to help get her home today. She needs all new appliances and furniture, plus misc. household items.

Thanks.

Pictures to follow.

-Becky

Once we get home

Once we get home we still need:

full size mattress and boxspring
living room furniture (couches and tv stand)
kitchen table and chairs
refrigerator

I am able to reuse old stove and dishwasher and a friend is giving us a used stackable washer / dryer unit. So that is a blessing.

The table and chairs and living furniture will be a challenge as I had no contents on insurance; and the spaces are small so we can't just take any used stuff. I do not mind used at all, but it just has to fit.

I know it will come together eventually. I do have an air mattress I can sleep on until I can get another mattress. The fridge is the only real need immediately as I can not reopen my in home daycare with out a working stove, and fridge.

~Becky

My house update

They are scheduled to install my kitchen counter tops tomorrow afternoon. I am so excited.

We still have to:

insulate under bathroom
install toilet
install shower head
install vanity
install sink
hang mirror
hang fixtures (like towel bar)
seal tile in bathroom

seal tile in backroom
install hot water heater

seal tile in kitchen
put in dishwasher
put in stove
put in microwave (wall mount)
put in sink

reinstall my bedroom light

paint some trim

install some window trim

install closet door

install furnace door

install ac unit

I am not sure what else, but hopefully it will all be done and we can go home before March 1st.

Most of what we need has been purchased (from insurance money advance, donation money, and the rest on credit,) but we still may need a few odds and ends.

It is so exciting to be going home soon.

~Becky

3 months ago

3 months ago today my sister, nephew, boyfriend, and my boys were having a hurricane party. We were all at my house preparing for the hurricane. We had games, movies, snacks, and confidence that our homes would be fine. My biggest worry was a tree falling on my house, as I have 11 in my yard. But water in the house was not even a concern of mine. Yes, the town was under mandatory evacuation, and yes all the news reports were saying this was going to be a bad storm. Yet still until you live through something like that it is hard to imagine.

So about 8:30 at night when we finally lost power and the water rose quickly to my street, then yard, then ultimately under my home it become a bit more real. As a home down the street was engulfed in flames it became more real. As we went to bed with wind howling, unsure of the scene we would find in the am, it became more real.

But the next morning as the sun was shining and the water had receded it seemed that we had escaped the hurricane. Until we took a walk, and quickly had to turn around as we discovered first large amount of debris (like a huge deck in the middle of 8th street,) to boats tossed around like children's play toys, to homes and business's hanging on for dear life.

So then we went home and we waited. Waited for news of what was going on. Waited to hear if loved ones were ok. Waited to know if we could leave our homes or not. Waited for heat, and power, and food. We were cut off from the news and most cell phones had died or had no service. Our cars were submerged in flood water and unusable. News came from neighbors with no certainty of any validity. I kept thinking this is crazy that we can not get any information, with all the technology we have, yet it was useless at a  time like this. (Please add battery operated radio to your emergency kit.)

And now, 3 months later although our technology has been restored our lives have not. I have yet to hear of anyone who suffered damage in Union Beach who is still not living with said damage. My sister and nephew whose home was seriously damaged (and they had no insurance at all) is living with my mom and stepfather. 3 months later and she still can not even find a reliable car to buy to replace the one she lost. We (my boys, dog, and I) are living in my brother's 1 bedroom apartment in Keansburg. Every time I say we may be able to go home in two weeks it is still always two weeks. Jay (my boyfriend) whose apartment was destroyed in Keansburg, is currently sleeping on his niece's floor or couch as his old place is still a mess. Countless other friends are still in hotels, on other's couches, or have had to leave the state to find suitable housing.

And still we are all waiting. Waiting on FEMA. Waiting on insurance. Waiting on Disaster Unemployment. Waiting to resume any semblance of normalcy. Waiting to go home, or waiting to find a new home. And waiting to relax.

We all still need prayers, love, and support. If you can find your way to Union Beach and volunteer for a day or more, or if you can donate to our hurricane relief fund, or someone else's. Anything you can do to help us all get home will be greatly appreciated.

~Becky Rivera

Progress

Christian Aid Ministries has begun work on my house. It is all so exciting. So far the floor joist are repaired and subfloors are put in. They replaced all damaged insulation and sheetrock. They gutted the entire bathroom and are redoing it (everything in there was damaged from old water damage.) They put in a new regular size tub. They are working on the plumbing (all the plumbing in the house is being replaced.) The kitchen cabinets have all been removed. The electrical has been checked and cleared (and a new outlet in my room and for the microwave have been installed.)

We still have to:

spackle living room

put in living room floor

paint living room

put in closet door in living room

spackle hallway

paint hallway

put in hallway floors

spackle bathroom

install light switch in bathroom

put in new floor in bathroom

install toilet in bathroom

install shower head in bathroom

install fixtures in bathroom (towel bar, etc.)

install vanity and faucet in bathroom

install light switch in bedroom

spackle bedroom

put floors in bedroom

paint bedroom

replace bedroom door

install kitchen cabinets in kitchen

paint kitchen

install floors in kitchen

put back stove, dishwasher, sink, and refrigerator in kitchen

put plumbing in kitchen from under house

install countertop

install furnace, central air unit, and all hvac ductwork

install hot water heater in back room
put floor down in back room
spackle back room
paint back room
make coat closet in back room

In the next few days I have to pick paint for all the rooms, and order and pay for kitchen cabinets.

I should have just enough money to buy the kitchen cabinets (stock cabinets they are $2,600, this is the cheapest option they have except buying them unstained and staining them myself.) I will charge the paint and pay it off when I get my insurance settlement.

I do not have enough money for:
paint
kitchen counter
any floors
toilet
vanity
pay HVAC guy ($4,000)
supplies for coat closet
bedroom door
living room closet door
pay floor guy for work he already did

But it is exciting to see progress. I am praying the job will be done by Jan. 29th (three months since the hurricane.) But that is very hopeful as the insurance company has until Jan. 28th to make a decision regarding my settlement amount (and then more time to actually send the check.)

Thanks again for all your support!

~Becky

Help still needed

It will cost about $40,000 to repair my home. I did get an advance of $5,000 from the insurance, but have no idea what the final amount given will be. Plus we have damages that the insurance is not covering since it is from termites and my house just being old.  So we still need prayers and help with donations. Especially since after my house we have to secure housing for my sister (since it is not looking likely that we will be able to repair her home.)

Cash donations and Lowe's and Home Depot gift cards appreciated!!!

Thanks for all your help!

~Becky

Thanks so much!

To anyone and everyone who made a donation (time, cash, a gift, or a gift card) for us for Christmas and / or for the house, THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
I am trying to send everyone a thank you card, but some addresses I do not have and some donations were anonymous.
If you know someone who gave to us please express our gratitude!!!

~Becky