PleaseSaveMyHouseUpdate

Hello. I have a fabulous new case worker and on Thursday we spent almost two hours on the phone going through the furnace problem and other issues. I took photos of several documents and sent them to her via email. I also have an appointment to see her so I can sign some applications and hopefully expedite assistance. Thursday night I discovered an "emergency track application" for my furnace situation so I called Friday morning to inquire. I should qualify due to my age, health issues, and being on a fixed income BUT the program does not start until November 1st!! I was told that their budget was cut drastically within the past two years; anyone surprised? Even if I am accepted it still may be several weeks before I can get the furnace fixed. I also called about a different program ( they are also dealing with funding cuts) but my city is not included in their service area. On Monday I have an appointment for another furnace repair estimate. After I explained my dilemma they were nice enough to waive the trip charge and have alloted time to repair the furnace just in case I can figure something out! After Wednesday the weather is supposed to turn colder and I will have a VERY hard time keeping my parakeets warm (it's a bit chilly in here now). I researched portable heaters (I believe I figured out a spot to safely use one) and there are a few deemed safe to use around birds BUT you have to run them, on high, for at least 4 hours (some state 12) to burn off possible toxins. The options to do so are: in a closed off room, away from the birds, with a window open; in the garage; or outside somewhere. Those options do not work for me! I bought window sealing tape on clearance last spring and started to apply it several days ago as well as putting up some plastic sheeting. The draft in here is ridiculous! I'm so desperate that I even wasted my time looking into getting a line of credit or an installment loan. Looking did underlined the fact that even though the loan would come from an established, well known company, I would still drown in a deep debt. The line of credit offered did not cover the total cost the furnace repair anyway. What else can I do?! Suggestions?! In the meantime, PLEASE donate and/or share. It would be a HUGE blessing and a burden off of my shoulders if I can get the furnace fixed Monday, possibly Tuesday! Thank you! Love and peace, Laura

Hi. I still do not know how I am going to get the furnace fixed. I've made several calls and sent emails too and will continue to do so. Tomorrow I am expecting a few return calls with one of them being my best hope and chance. I am running on 4 hours of sleep; stress of course but my lower back, left hip and hand are all acting up. Thankfully I can get around okay albeit a bit slower than normal! I am grateful that the weather has been sunny and the temps decent for October. The temp in the house last Friday was 80° (I didn't crack open any windows with the hope of keeping the heat in for as long as possible); this morning it was 69° and right now it is 72°. I will post another update tomorrow with GOOD news I hope! Please donate/ share if possible, thanks! Love and peace, Laura

Hi again. I just got off the phone with the crisis hotline. I started to have an anxiety attack and it was quickly getting worse, so I called my best friend. He must have been sleeping because he didn't answer. I needed to talk with someone so I called the hotline and spoke with a nice man for over an hour. It's more than just the stress over the furnace; I don't want to get into all of that here and now but I think the furnace issue truly sank in and I felt (feel) overwhelmed. Last evening I decided to diffuse the anxiety by cuddling my animals, talking with my best friend for a few hours, listening to my fave music, and watching some fun things on TV. It did help and I thought I would be able to sleep especially since I haven't slept much the past few days. I took some medication so hopefully it will help; I'm so tired! I am going to get a few more furnace repair estimates; they are free and the effort may pay off in some way. The crisis counselor gave me a few resources that I didn't have so I will check them out as well. One day (sometimes a minute) at a time. Please donate and/share if you can, thanks. Love and peace, Laura

Hello. The invoice for the furnace inspection states~ "OEM ECM blower motor, module, and wheel: motor and module have failed, must replace with OEM part" and "Blower motor replacement with complete DC motor and module $2,131.00". My heart sank but I kept myself together some how! As soon as the tech left I contacted the county about assistance and all I can do right now is fill out a form and provide all the necessary documents. After the application is submitted it may take 90 days to get a decision. Obviously I cannot wait that long with cold weather coming. There are some other programs I may qualify for so I will submit the paperwork anyway. I looked into financing and had difficulty with the online application. I had to submit the information a dozen times, I tried everything! Finally the information went through, and then I received a 'you do not qualify for finacing' message. I honestly didn't think I qualified, but I had to try! I did more research, bookmarked pages, and reached out to some family members and friends. The weekend will hinder my progress in looking for a solution which is frustrating. Any suggestions will be appreciated! I'm beside myself with worry and stress. I'm sure I can figure out ways to keep my animals warm for awhile but cannot do that indefinitely (I cannot use a space heater here with carpeting, the layout of the house, where my animals are, and too many things like Aspen shavings, pieces of hay, etc. around). PLEASE donate and/or share if you can, thank you! Love and peace, Laura