Help Bob & April Re-Build Their Home

Background

I have known Bob & April for close to 15 years. They began attending Eastgate Christian Fellowship church where my husband Rob serves as pastor. They are and have always been a loving, caring and kind family, serving tirelessly in the community in which they have been placed. This is their story:

The storm of the century

October 9, 2018 was the last night Bob and April Hess spent inside their home. Like many other residents of Bay County, Florida, Bob and April were sheltering in place when Hurricane Michael made landfall on October 10, 2018. Living in the Cove, one of the hardest hit areas in the county, their house was all but destroyed. Parts of the roof were exposed, windows were blown in, leaving many rooms of the house exposed to the elements of the storm. Not only did the house need to be completely gutted and put back together, almost every piece of furniture, clothing, personal effects, etc. was also destroyed. After the storm, a structural engineer stopped by the home to assess the damage. The engineer looked over the house, the damaged second story and came to this conclusion: It is only by the hand of God that the house did not completely collapse on these two wonderful people

Insurance company goes belly up

Since the storm, Bob and April had been working diligently with their insurance company to rebuild their home. Within the last three years, their insurance company has gone from being incredibly slow with their claims to going completely out of business. The state has now taken over their policy, but it is unknown if, when or how much of their open claim will be paid. And there is also no way to know when any payment could show up. The insurance company was prepared to put in $50,000 to be able to complete the repairs, and that much is needed to continue the work.

Rebuild put on hold indefinitely

Because of the issues with the insurance company, the rebuild of the house has been put on hold indefinitely. This is entirely due to a lack of funds. All of the money for this fundraiser will go towards fixing their home. A large amount of money is needed to pay for labor, supplies, and items to fill the home. If you are able, please consider donating to this worthy cause.

Many people in Bay County were displaced from their home for sometime after Hurricane Michael. Few people are still waiting for their house to finish construction. We know that this will be another year of holidays spent without a home, but we hope that with the help of friends and family, Bob and April can spend next year's holidays inside the home they love.

Please join us in lifting up our neighbors Bob and April. Let's get this rebuild finished and let's bring them home where they belong.

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This is their house before the storm-it is registered with the Historical Society of Bay County.

This is their house today. Some work has been done, but there is much left to do.