A GEELONG family dealing with the devastation of a house fire that claimed the lives of two beloved dogs are now desperately searching for somewhere to live.<\/p>\n
Raylene Benson and her son Daniel escaped their burning home however Dior and Lily, the pets who \u201cmeant the world\u201d to Raylene, were trapped in the blaze.<\/p>\n
Trying to deal with sadness and loss should be their focus, but instead they have been visiting caravan parks, making calls and worrying whether they will have a roof over their heads next week.<\/p>\n
Raylene\u2019s daughter Nadine Haynes said her mum and brother were currently in emergency accommodation through Salvos Connect, which is only available to them for a few more days, and they face at least a two-month wait until a long-term home becomes available through Aboriginal Housing.<\/p>\n
\u201cMum\u2019s contributing to the cost of a motel that Salvos Connect found for them at the moment but she\u2019s on a pension so it has to be what she can afford,\u201d Nadine said.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s on a waiting list at caravan parks but otherwise she has nowhere to go.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve said she could come here but I\u2019ve got three kids and two have disability.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe says she doesn\u2019t want to be a burden, and there\u2019s my brother as well, but I think she knows the kids don\u2019t cope with change,\u201d explaining two of her young children have autism, ADHD and other challenges.<\/p>\n
Nadine said the shortage of temporary accommodation options was making dealing with the grief so much worse for her mother and brother.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s been a lot of tears, every day,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s lost everything; she doesn\u2019t care about the material things, she just wants her dogs back. She just wants her dogs to cuddle,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know they\u2019re irreplaceable, but it would be on my wish list that one day she can have another fluffy white dog to fill that hole in her heart; they were her babies.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I\u2019ve had to say \u2018Mum you can\u2019t have a dog because we have to find somewhere for you to live first\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nadine said she hoped someone would have a granny flat or a caravan in their backyard they would consider renting as an affordable option for about two months until the property they have applied for becomes available.<\/p>\n
She also hopes to raise enough money for her mum to start again, and thanked everyone who had already donated to a fundraiser she had created to help with buying furniture and basics when her Mum and brother can move into a home.<\/p>\n
Nadine set a target of $10,000 in the hope that she could buy a new refrigerator, washing machine and household items that would come with warranties because as a pensioner, replacing those big-ticket items was almost impossible.<\/p>\n
Just over $3,600 has been raised to two weeks via a Facebook fundraiser. Nadine has now started a GoFundMe page for anyone without a social media account who wishes to donate.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really want to thank the community for all their support; it\u2019s been really amazing,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s had so many clothes donated, and we\u2019ve had a lot offers of furniture but they\u2019ve got no where to put anything, so that\u2019s why I started the fundraiser.\u201d<\/p>\n
To help Raylene and Daniel rebuild their lives, search \u201cHOUSE FIRE Loses everything \u2013 Corio\u201d on the GoFundMe website.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A GEELONG family dealing with the devastation of a house fire that claimed the lives of two beloved dogs are now desperately searching for somewhere to live. Raylene Benson and her son Daniel escaped their burning home however Dior and Lily, the pets who \u201cmeant the world\u201d to Raylene, were trapped in the blaze. Trying […]<\/p>\n