Help My Parents Avoid Eviction

My name is Rodney Roberts and I'm 26 years old.  I live in Columbia, MO with my parents Kathy and Rodney, Sr. 

I started this campaign because the house that my parents are living in is uninhabitable by modern standards.  For example, for heat we use an old-fashioned fireplace which I collect wood for every summer for use during the winter.  The fireplace unfortunately leaks smoke into the house and, with winter coming soon, we face a choice between the lesser of two evils: go without heat or risk inhaling smoke.  The electrical wiring is also in disrepair, to the point where we are forced to use extension cords throughout the house to power our lives.  Also, the foundation is falling apart, resulting in cracks throughout the house and the baseboards falling apart.  The ceiling leaks as well in multiple areas throughout the house when it rains or snows.  Needless to say, the living conditions leave much to be desired.

At this point, you might be wondering how we got here.  To make a long story short, my father suffered severe neck and back injuries on the job when he fell off of a ladder in his 40's. At that point, I was 12.  Regrettably, 14 years passed before my father ever received compensation for his work-related injuries.  As a result of the often drawn out, expensive, and adversarial legal system that families like mine are forced to navigate through (on top of the physically disabling injury, might I add), my family's finances took a major hit.

My mother responded by picking up a second FULL TIME job and I followed suit, contributing what I was able to. Nonetheless, times remain tough.

Most recently, another financial obstacle presented itself: my family is being forced to connect to Columbia's public sewer system even though we have our own private septic system (more info here: http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/local/columbia_infrastructure/sewer/homeowners-upset-over-sewer-compliance-cost/article_a9f04645-ddf0-5dfc-9468-6ee6b7c607e9.html)
This connection could cost upwards of $10,000.00 and, if we are unable to pay we risk losing our home, where we've lived for literally as long as I can remember.

I share this information in hopes of inducing you to either share this post or to consider donating (or both!).  Even if you could contribute $5, please know that every bit helps out in an urgent situation.

My family is like most others that you know and love; we work hard, we help who we can when we can, and we continue to stay positive in the face of adversity.

We are not looking for a hand OUT, but rather a hand UP. Thanks for reading and I pray that you will consider how you might be able to help.

Bottom line: my parents are good people and deserve to live in decent conditions but the hardships they deal with on a day to day basis as described above are unimaginable for the average American in the Midwest.

I hope to do better by them and, with your help, I can make my dream a reality!