Please Help Us Find Safety and a Little Time With the People We Love

Hi, our names are Victor and Carleen Rackliff, and this is one of the hardest things I've ever had to write.

Right now, my husband and I are living in a home that is slowly falling apart around us. After a hailstorm, four of our windows were broken and had to be boarded up. There's a hole in our kitchen floor right in front of a dishwasher that no longer works. Parts of the kitchen still show fire damage, and we deal with ongoing electrical issues that make us worry every day. We suspect there may even be mold from past leaks.

Our home doesn't feel safe anymore.

We do what we can to get by. In the winter, we rely on small electric heaters because the heating system isn't usable. Even something as simple as feeling warm and secure has become a daily struggle. This isn't how we imagined living at this point in our lives.

We are trying to survive on my husband's disability income of $1,454 a month. I haven't been able to work for over a year due to severe low blood pressure that causes me to pass out without warning. I'm currently waiting for my disability hearing, but until then, we are stuck in a very uncertain place.

We've looked for other options, but because our home is a 1976 mobile home, the bank won't accept it as collateral for a loan. We've run out of traditional paths.

That's why I'm asking for help.

We are hoping to raise $1,799 for a down payment on a safe, used pull-behind camper. Our plan is to find something under $5,000—nothing fancy, just something reliable, with everything working, that we can tow with our Chevy Silverado. A camper would give us something we don't have right now: a safe place to sleep, peace of mind, and a chance to breathe again.

But it's more than just safety.

We haven't been able to travel in seven years. My husband hasn't seen his son or most of his family in that time. He has missed three sibling funerals—moments you can never get back. I only get to see 5 of my 11 grandchildren once a year when they come visit for the Fourth of July. There is so much time we've already lost, and at 54 and 63, we are painfully aware that time isn't something we can afford to keep losing.

This camper wouldn't just be shelter—it would be a chance to reconnect with the people we love, to make a few more memories while we still can.

While we are traveling, our children have offered to help repair and improve our home so that maybe one day it can be livable again. This would give us a path forward instead of feeling stuck and overwhelmed.

I never imagined I would be in a position where I had to ask for help like this. But right now, we truly need it.

If you are able to donate, share, or even just take a moment to read our story, it means more than I can put into words. Thank you for seeing us, and for any kindness you can give.

With all our hearts,

Victor and Carleen Rackliff

UPDATE: To add insult to injury, our breaker shut off on our freezer and we lost every bit of meat we had! Other than my house burning down, it just can’t get much better. I am feeling so hopeless!