Help Steve, a Marshall Fire victim, rebuild

 

On the morning of Dec. 30, 2021, my brother, Steve Merschel, stepped outside and snapped this photo of smoke near his house in Louisville, Colo. It didn't seem like much of a threat, but to be safe, he grabbed his wallet and a small box of mementos as he jumped in his car, thinking he'd be able to dash home and grab some other essentials if he needed.

 

He never got the chance. All of Steve's belongings were obliterated that day, along with the rest of the neighborhood.

 

He feels fortunate. He's alive; he's employed; he had insurance. But insurance does not cover everything. At the moment, he has no idea how much he'll have to spend to rebuild.

 

So this GoFundMe is being set up for people who want to help bridge the gap, or just help Steve through a stressful time as he settles into temporary living quarters and figures out how to replace every single thing he owned.

 

Feel free to chip in enough to buy him a cup of coffee, a dinner out or whatever else you think might help. Think of it as a way to say, "Steve, we love you, and we're here for you."

 

Steve looks forward to hosting a big party for everyone when the rebuild, in whatever form it takes, is done.

 

He'll be documenting his life in a newsletter, which you can subscribe to at marshallfire.substack.com. In his own words, here's what he's hoping to accomplish:

 

I want to share with you my experience as I traverse the shock, grief, recovery, and growth that results from this disaster. My intent is that it will provide a combination of education, information, vicarious experience, and entertainment for the people that read it. For myself, it will be a journal to aid my healing and clarify where I go from here.

 

I do know that I have a strong desire to rebuild not just my house, but my community. Some of you may be familiar with kintsugi or wabi sabi. I am only briefly familiar with them, but my understanding is they originated from a broken bowl that was not mourned as a loss, but repaired in a way that beautified and celebrated the breaking of the bowl. That’s what I want for my community.

 

He's an optimist. The symbol he chose for his newsletter is a phoenix, the legendary bird that rises from the ashes.

 

Steve, we love you, and we're here for you.

 

And to everyone who is able to help -- thank you.

 

 

UPDATE, JAN. 12 -- Everyone, you are incredible. 

Before I could say, "Wow, people are donating faster than I expected," we met our $5,000 goal.

To encourage people who are just now learning about this effort, I've raised the goal. If you read Steve's newsletter, and I sincerely hope you will, you will see that the gap between insurance and actual rebuilding costs might be significant. So every bit helps.

Steve, being Steve, has also compiled a list of alternate charities, to help people who don't have access to computers or wonderful friends such as you.

 

Thank you, everybody. Your love is tangible.

 

-- Mike