The question has come up a number of times: If these families have insurance, why do they need our help?
If you closed your eyes right now, how many items could you list right around you? Can you imagine making a list of every item in the room? How about every book on your shelf?
This is what the insurance companies ask of people when they lose their homes. It's called a "content list." A list of every item in every room of the entire house. Different companies and policies work differently, but generally the family has the option to take a percentage of their house value (often 75%) for contents, or to itemize a detailed list. For most Americans, 75% does not cover the actual value of the contents of their homes.
And for most humans, remembering everything that should go on the list is impossible.
The money these families will receive from their insurance companies will primarily go toward rebuilding, and eventually to large purchases, such as furniture and appliances.
Many families have not seen that money yet, and are currently living off credit cards and the kindness of others. Some have even had to make mortgage payments on homes that no longer exist, as they wait for paperwork to process.
Know that your generosity has a direct impact on individual families here. Every usable donation will either end up on the shelves of one of our families, or, if no one needs it, sold, and the money given to the families.
We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
photo by Alan Cleaver
Many people are finding their insurance was insufficient to cover the damage from this fire. Our insurance policy, after the deductions and other "games" the insurance people play amounted to 1/2 of the appraised value of our home. That is payment for the removal of the debris, the replacement of every item in the home (including our food storage, clothing, beds, appliances, homeschool reference materials), the cost to live elsewhere while we "rebuild", and the value to replace our home. We can find nothing in the marketplace within that price range on the home/rebuilding alone. Our family size is too large to find a "rental" situation and because we were homeowners, we have no rental history for a landlord to trust renting to us in this day and age. We've heard from others whose mortgage company messed up on the insurance and every one thought there was insurance coverage, but in turn there was none. Many people have lost in the fire, every proof of their insurance documents and cannot even prove their insurance. Thanks Patti for the blog and efforts!
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