HELP SAVE PATTYWOOD!

Patty Perkinson is desperately trying to save her home! However, on a teacher’s salary, she cannot afford to do it alone—she needs our help. Over the years, Patty has graciously opened her home to so many—it’s our turn to return the kindness.

Land movement in the Portuguese Bend area of Rancho Palos Verdes has long been an issue that residents in that area have been able to live with, but all of this has changed dramatically. In the past 18 months, the Klondike Canyon neighborhood, where Patty’s home is located, has been assaulted by unprecedented land movement. The streets in Patty’s neighborhood look like a war-zone. Emergency crews are stationed there 24/7 to combat water lines that rupture seemingly everyday. The tremendous amount of water is saturating the soil and threatening the stability of the ground underneath homes. A few neighbors have had their homes “red tagged,” ie. condemned—forcing these people to flee with nothing but the clothes on their backs!

With Pattywood, it began slowly, at first. Patty noticed that the water in her pool was no longer level. Then, the cement surrounding the pool’s edge began to buckle and rise causing ceramic tiles to crack and fall off. Hairline cracks inside and outside the home became more and more pronounced. An inspection showed cracks in the foundation, but worst of all, crews monitoring the situation reported that the earth underneath the paddle tennis court that lies between Patty’s home and the canyon, has eroded so much that it is unsafe and dangerous. If this land crumbles away, Patty’s house is next!

Despite the expense, Patty has dipped into her emergency fund in an effort to do everything she can do to try to save her home. Recently, she made the difficult decision to drain her pool. This tactic will hopefully lessen the amount of water seeping into the ground, but it could also cause the destruction of the now-empty pool—a huge loss but a risk she felt she had to take. She has also removed and relocated irreplaceable family photographs and other sentimental items in the event that she should be forced to leave at a moment’s notice.

Amidst all of this chaos, there is a glimmer of hope, but it comes at a steep price. A land stabilization company has extensively surveyed her property and this company believes that they can help stop the erosion and land movement, but the cost is far beyond what Patty can afford to pay on her own.

Look at the photographs—they illustrate how dire this situation has become. Now, if you will, put yourself in Patty’s shoes. Try to imagine how you would feel if, while lying in bed at night, you hear the sounds of your childhood home groaning and popping all around you in the dark. It’s a terrifying scenario and one that Patty lives with everyday. I honestly don’t know how she manages to cope. The stress alone would be too much for most of us to bear, but somehow she finds the strength to go on.

Please help her raise the funds necessary to stabilize her land by donating to this fund. Any amount that you can afford will be greatly appreciated. You can also help by sharing this fundraiser with your family and friends. Together we can help insure that she has a safe and stable place to call home.

Thank you,

Nancy Stillians

Fundraiser organizer