Hello all! A very close friend of mine that I have known for nearly 20 years has recently suffered a total loss of his home, belongings, and vehicle from a house fire that occurred on 4/1/23. He was able to get himself and his dog out of the house, but besides the clothing on his back and his phone, has lost everything. I am working on helping him find resources for veteran's as well, but hoping to raise some money to help get him the basics for him and his dog. This tragedy is taking a toll on my friend, who has already experienced more hardships than many of us see in a lifetime.

He is a Iraqi war veteran and served for over 6 years, leaving due to a medical discharge and is classified as 100% disabled by the Army and Federal Government as a direct result of his injuries sustained during his service. He is staying in a hotel this week and moving in with a family member soon while he begins to build back his life after such a tragic loss. Any donations are truly appreciated and feel free to do so in the form of this site, directly, or a gift card to stores like Amazon, Costco, Walmart, Target, GameStop, pet stores/Chewy, home stores, or anywhere else that you feel would be helpful!

I am helping him directly to find replacements for his belongings and apply for resources. Funds directly for stores are more than welcome to begin replacing things as well! I am hoping the grants I am helping him apply for from various organizations come through, but many say funding is limited or there are waiting lists. I am hoping raising this money can help jumpstart his way back to feeling like things can get back to a resemblance of normal again. I am leaving out a name for now as he is still processing what happened and to not overwhelm him even more. If you would like more information, feel free to reach out to me!

Any suggestions for resources for fire victims or veterans are also welcome and very much appreciated! The fire occurred in Lake County, Illinois in case any suggestions are location specific. Thank you!