New Home Construction

Hello, My name is Amy and I am writing you today requesting help in building a new home for my family. We are a family of 5. My husband and myself, along with 3 daughters who's ages are 13, 11, and 3yrs old. We are asking for help in rebuilding our family home. In 2011, we were proud first time homeowners. My husband and I had saved up for over 10yrs to be able to buy a home for our family. We were able to save up enough money to buy a foreclosure home and remodel that home to fit our families needs.  I am proud to say that we done all this without having to pull out a loan of any sorts. Sorry to say that we were unable to stay in our home for too long.

In 2013, our family home was demolished by the city due to a house fire that had started next store at a neighbors house. We had lost everything material in that fire, except for the most precious thing of all, Life. I am happy to say that no one in my family was injured during the fire. I remember it as it was yesterday. The fire happened on a Saturday morning. My husband and I were heading out that morning to take our 2 older children to their track meet. While at the track meet, I received a call from my mother, who lives at least 30 minutes away from my home, stating that her friend who lives on the block over called her and said that there was a fire on 44th and Union in the middle of the block. I told my mom, but mom, I live in the middle of the block. My husband and I left our children with their coach and drove back to our neighborhood. When we got there, we had to park 5 blocks down and show our ID to get even close to the house. When we arrived, the fire was in full force. All I remember is falling to my knees and watch everything that we had worked up to go up in flames. My neighbor's came to me crying telling me they are sorry. I told them sorry for what, we are all in the same boat, as all of our houses were on fire. I soon one of the young men who lived next door to me, and he came up to me smiling. He had told me that once the fire had started, he ran up to my house and knocked the door down as he didnt see our car out front and no one answered when he was banging on our door. He told me he had great news, that he was able to retrieve my dog and had the dog at a neighbor's house down the block. I gave him the biggest hug ever. To think, this boy is seeing his own house up in flames and he was worried about saving my dog for me. That is what you call great neighbors. 

My neighborhood, local businesses, family and friends all came together to help all of the familes that were affected by the fire. A friend of my husbands had an empty apartment that she let us have rent free for the first 3 months. My former boss helped raise money that helped supply beds and clothing for my family. A lady who was having an estate sale, let me go in and take whatever I needed from the house free of charge.  For more information on my house at 4423 S Union Avenue in Chicago, Il

There is youtube footage of the fire that can be found by clicking the link below.My house is the light tan one with brown windows. https://youtu.be/1ITkTqAKh9I

More links below as well:

http://www.chicagofiremap.net/2013/07/3-11-alarm-for-multiple-houses-burning.html http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/14/canaryville-fire-prompts-_n_3594494.html?