Opportunity to “pay it forward”!!

9/11 Anniversary rebuilding project Sept. 6-9, 2007

From The New York Says Thank You Foundation May 2, 2007:
Dear Friends,

As you know, each year on the weekend prior to the 9/11 Anniversary, The New York Says Thank You Foundation sends New York City firefighters along with other volunteers from The Big Apple to help rebuild communities around the country affected by disaster. It’s our way of saying “Thank You” for all the love and support Americans from across the country extended to New Yorkers in the days, weeks, and months following September 11. What makes these rebuilding weekends so very special is that we are also joined by hundreds of local volunteers as well as volunteers from all the communities around the U.S. we have helped on previous anniversaries of 9/11 who continue to join us at the next rebuilding projects as their way to “pay it forward.”

This year, on the upcoming sixth anniversary of September 11, we are hoping to rebuild the home of James and Eva Vincent in the small town of Groesbeck, Texas.

But in order to help James and Eva rebuild, we need your assistance in helping us to gather donated building materials for their new home.

The Vincents are an extraordinary American family. Three generations of the Vincent family have run assisted-living centers for disabled veterans out of their homes. They created a unique and loving environment where these men who served our nation could eat at the family’s dining room table, play with the children in the extended Vincent family, and enjoy the 100+ animals in a beautiful country setting. In addition to serving the veterans, the Vincents also serve their community as they comprise nearly one-quarter of the 40-member volunteer fire department of Groesbeck, a town of just 4,000 people half way between Dallas and Austin and just east of Waco.

On December 29, 2006 Mother Nature dealt a cruel blow to the Vincent family when an F3 tornado ripped through the Vincent family compound, damaging one of the veterans’ homes and destroying the home where James and Eva lived with their 14-month son Hunter and 5 of the veterans. With just 30 seconds warning before the tornado struck, Eva woke Hunter from his crib and gathered the 5 veterans in her home and huddled them in a small inner hallway of the house. Sadly, one of the men died in the tornado but Eva’s quick action literally saved the lives of her young son and the other men in her care.

The house sustained major damage in the storm and was rendered unlivable. Originally built by hand 30 years earlier by James’ grandfather, Grady Shropshire, the home was unfortunately un-insured. And because Groesbeck was never declared a federal disaster area, the family was not eligible for FEMA or other government assistance to rebuild.

While the extended family will continue to care for the disabled veterans in the home of Debbie Vincent (James’ mom), James and Eva and their young son Hunter, need a home.

That’s where we come in.

In honor of the Vincent’s family extraordinary service in caring for disabled veterans for three generations, and in recognition of this wonderful family’s dedication to their community through their service on the Groesbeck fire department, The New York Says Thank You Foundation has chosen this family as our rebuilding project for the upcoming 9/11 Anniversary weekend from September 6-9, 2007.

But unlike other projects where our Foundation has raised funds to send our volunteers from around the country to help out, this year, we need your help to raise in-kind donations of building materials to build James and Eva’s house.

Lumber, Sheetrock, Insulation, Plumbing and electrical fittings, Nails, Cabinets. See the construction materials list here →

And that’s where you come in.

We need your help in helping us to gather the building materials necessary to build James and Eva’s home. Through The New York Says Thank You Foundation, any suppliers donating building materials to this project can receive a tax-deduction for their in-kind contributions. If you cannot donate building materials but are interested in making a financial donation to help pay for building materials, we can accommodate that as well.

But time is of the essence. In order for our Foundation to commit to this rebuilding project, we need to line up commitments of building materials by Friday May 25^th.

In addition to the New York City firefighters we intend to bring to Groesbeck (a number of whom are survivors of the World Trade Center), we expect to be joined by as many as 100 volunteers from around the country including survivors of Hurricane Katrina from Slidell, Louisiana, and survivors of the 2003 San Diego wildfires, the 2004 Utica, Illinois and 2005 Evansville, Indiana tornadoes. As with all rebuilding projects, we expect hundreds of local volunteers from across East Central Texas and from Dallas and Austin to participate in this special rebuilding project for this special Texas family.

If we can pull this off, it will be an incredible community-wide service project of giving back and helping our neighbors on the 9/11 Anniversary with FDNY firefighters and disaster survivors from around the United States descending on the tiny community of Groesbeck for what will be a life-changing event for the Vincent family and a memorable weekend for the entire community.

If you think you could help us to get donated building materials, please see the construction materials list → supplied by Bob McCain, a builder in Groesbeck who has volunteered his services to help the Vincent family rebuild, and call Bob at the number below ASAP to let him know which building materials you are interested in donating.

Any donated building materials or financial contributions to help in this rebuilding project will be tax-deductible through New York Says Thank You Foundation’s 501c3.

If you are interested in making a financial contribution to help pay for building materials, donations can be made Online at www.NewYorkSaysThankYou.org

***Please designate your donation for the "Vincent Family Rebuilding Fund" in the grey box at the bottom of the online donations page***

Checks can be made out to:

• The New York Says Thank You Foundation
• c/o Vincent Family Rebuilding Fund
• ATTN: Mary Rand
• Farmers State Bank
• 121 South Ellis
• P.O. Box 499
• Groesbeck, TX 76642

All donors will receive receipts for their tax-deductible contributions (Online donations will receive receipts from NYCharities.org)

Thanks for your support of this very special project for this very special Texas family.

God Bless.

Project Contacts:

Jeff Parness / 917-806-8061
The New York Says Thank You Foundation
www.NewYorkSaysThankYou.org
jeff@newyorksaysthankyou.org
 

Bob McCain (Builder) / 903-626-5687
Bob McCain Custom Homes
Groesbeck, Texas
bmccain@starband.net
 

Mary Rand / 254-729-3272
Farmers State Bank
Groesbeck, Texas
maryr@wellsits.net
 

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