Community raises funds to build new family home

Jada Haney of North Liberty, Iowa, and her friend, Karen Sando of Spencer, is raising money to buy lumber to rebuild the Montgomery County home they lost in a fire two years ago. It…

Community raises funds to build new family home

Jada Haney of North Liberty, Iowa, and her friend, Karen Sando of Spencer, is raising money to buy lumber to rebuild the Montgomery County home they lost in a fire two years ago. It wasn’t their house, but Haney’s family was home at the time. Haney lost her husband and 17-year-old daughter in the fire.

She filed a claim with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, an action that led them to a local building supply company. But it was a long wait and Haney and Sando finally had to go to FEMA for help. When the agency’s contractor showed up, he said the company had taken delivery of lumber months ago, but hadn’t delivered it.

“We worked really hard and waited a long time, and FEMA just did not give us any information or anything. We were totally freaking out and thinking, ‘Oh, my gosh. The house is totally destroyed. We may have to start over in a different state or another state. Where will we get start?’ ” said Haney.

Haney decided to start an Etsy shop, “Solid Solid Solid Whole Humanity,” to sell pine plywood sheets.

Here’s an AP story from the initial announcement:

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