Per Humans of St. Louis Facebook post on January 31, 2015:
“I found it on Craigslist. Bought it a week and half ago. It’s hideous. It was only a $6000 house, and it needs a lot of work. It was even raining inside. But it was affordable. And who wouldn’t want to own a house and not pay rent? My husband said, ‘It’s our dream home.’” - Monique and Marion Reese
Per Humans of St. Louis Facebook post on February 7, 2015:
“I’m a bus driver. People get on the bus, and they never smile. I’m like, what is wrong with you? It’s ok. You woke up this morning. You’re vertical. You’re not horizontal. Smile! They say, ‘I don’t have anything to smile for.’ Yes you do! You’re not laying in a coffin. Smile. ‘Oh, bus driver,’ they say. ‘You crazy!’ I got a lot of people that depend on me, too. Sometimes I don’t feel like going to work. I have severe asthma. But I got a couple of homeless families that depend on me. When I wake up and fix my lunch, I fix lunch for them, too. Take it to work with me. They look forward to me so they can eat. And then it’s cold outside. They depend on me to keep warm. ‘Go on back there and take a nap.’ It doesn’t bother me.” - Monique Reese
We are trying to raise funds for construction permits and materials, as well as to purchase vacant lots on both sides of the house. The house has wonderful "bones", but after years of neglect, it is a gut-rehab. One of the side lots will be used for a garden. We are trying to be a positive influence on the neighborhood, and have already seen positive things happening on the block.
This neighborhood in zip code 63112 has seen very little outside investment. Your help can help breathe life into the neighborhood. We're committed to this neighborhood. We want to see it grow and thrive again. This is our first step. Help us with our first step. Through Humans of St. Louis, we have had a number of people from St. Louis help with construction efforts. We are now at the point to where we need funding to finish the project.
We have been taking donated items (stove, dishwasher, refrigerator), using used materials, and improvising where we can to stretch our limited funds. We still have funding needs, though, as follows:
Plumbing: $350
Electrical: $1,500
Drywall: $800
Plywood: $475
Flooring: $200
Gutters: $600
Roofing: $500
Architectural drawings, required by local municipality: $1,500
Permits required: $1,000
Miscellaneous supplies, equipment rental, fees: $3000
Total: $8,925
Here's the impact you can make:
Good: (Skip a meal or two): $25
Better: (Skip a meal + a movie or two): $100
We will be hosting a celebration party at the house for all donors once the project is complete, hopefully later this summer.
Thank you for your partnership!
- Monique and Marion Reese
P.S. For more information, please see this story in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/humans...
P.S.S. Find the Reese Family Renovation page on Facebook by searching Facebook with "Reese Family Renovation."