For 15 years, I had operated a no-kill animal rescue. Then, due to economic reasons, we were forced to close. This left me with 26 dogs and 34 cats that were unable to be adopted for a variety of reasons. The food and veterinary costs were staggering and this was now entirely the responsibility of my husband, Ed, and myself. Our roof had rapidly begun to deteriorate, but there was never enough money for more than cheap patch jobs. Then it started to leak heavily, ruining the ceiling in almost every room. The ceiling even collapsed in the living room and our bedroom due to the weight of the now soaked insulation.

Then, the unthinkable happened and my world collapsed. One of our rescue dogs managed to escape from our fenced yard and my husband gave chase. At 67 years old, he died of a major heart attack. Now my financial struggles were even greater. With the help of some close friends, I managed to save enough money for materials and they provided the labor for a new roof. I now have a beautiful new roof, but the ceilings all need replaced due to mold and water damage. Another problem is that my heat came from wires laid under the plaster, so I also have no heat other than space heaters.

I am hoping to raise enough money to replace the drywall and the insulation. The plaster or top coat can come later.