"Austin's House"

The picture below shows Austin and his family in front of their home. Austin lives here with his mother, sisters and foster children that his mom is taking care of.

Within the past couple of years, the house began shifting because it did not have a strong enough foundation. With no money for repairs or to move, the family began trying to fix the house the best they could. Austin, the man of the house at 14 years old, began digging out under the foundation with hopes that they could stack cinder blocks to support the main beams.

When HFtFN members found out about this, we began trying to help. After meeting with several contractors, we discovered that the house could not be saved. It would eventually fall in on itself. We made Austin promise he would not go under the foundation again.

Due to the shifting, there is no longer running water and alternative means for a little heat had to be used. As you can imagine, the home does not stay very warm with this gaping hole under the foundation.

Our next goal was to find a way to replace the house with the most affordable mobile home possible.

Please consider how you might help! If you would like to donate money specifically for this goal, please contact Lynn at (217) 793-0707 or donate securely using by clicking on the button below.