In October 2023, more than 170 gallons of heating oil were released into my home. Nearly 3 years later, the cleanup still hasn't begun, not because the contamination is gone, but because I still haven't been able to raise enough money required to start it.

Restoration after ruin. Justice after silence. A home that has sheltered many is now in need. (Photo is of homeowner Mimi Caban & one of her rescue dogs in her van camper. At times she lives in the van & travels to places to stay when the weather is too cold to be in their home. Thankfully one of her children, who is on academic scholarships, has been able to live at their college full time/year round since the oil spill happened in 2023 till 2026.)

How You Can Help: Give now. If you prefer not to use this donation platform, please contact Mimi directly for alternative ways of giving. Use Mimi's phone number if you have it or oilspillcleanup2025@gmail.com

What Happened

On October 3, 2023, following a heating oil delivery ordered the previous day, more than 170 gallons of oil were released into Mimi’s basement, soaking the dirt floor and surrounding soil.

Mimi was away from home caring for her mother in hospice at the time of the spill, but her tenants, a single mother caring for five children, were immediately displaced. Mimi’s mother passed away two weeks later. Because of the spill, Mimi and her family could not return to her home during the cold weather months, making an already painful season even more difficult, deeply affecting her daily life, her work, and her ability to continue the ministry that has served so many over the years.

Both homeowners insurance and the oil company’s insurer denied the claims. Many homeowners in Massachusetts and beyond don’t realize that oil spills aren’t typically covered unless a specific rider is added to their policy, a costly and painful reality Mimi is now living.

This is something Mimi wants others to be aware of, to help prevent similar situations for families and homeowners across the state.

For over 10 years, top lawyers and advocates have been pushing to change Massachusetts laws to require better oil spill coverage — but those efforts have been repeatedly blocked, leaving homeowners vulnerable.

How Donations Will Be Used:

1. Beginning environmental remediation
2. Contractor and restoration costs
3. Recovery from prolonged rental income losses
4. Repairs related to the later flood, freeze damage etc
5. Returning the home to a safe, livable condition

FIRST GOAL: $38,000 This is not the total cost of recovery. It is the minimum amount needed to move the project forward. Some of the donations have been used to help offset the years of rental income losses, damage to the property due to freeze damage caused by the oil spill/no heat and ongoing displacement for Mimi.

Support received so far: $16,472.71 (Not all of the donations come through GSG)

Please join in praying for: That Mimi would not lose heart; for favor with agencies and contractors; miraculous financial and temporary housing provision; for the promises in 2 Kings 8:6 would be fulfilled: "...restore all that was hers, together with all the income from the land from the day she left until now..."

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Help spread the word: this issue affects many homeowners who may not realize their policies don’t cover heating oil spills unless riders are added.

Share this campaign widely to amplify Mimi’s urgent need.

Why It Matters

This home has been a sanctuary for family, friends, and, at times, even strangers, as well as the heart of Mimi’s work, creative projects, and ministry, very often a refuge for those in crisis. Since Mimi and her late husband Bobby bought it in 2007, it has provided a place of healing, restoration, and great joy for their children, Mimi, and many others from the United States and around the world.

Mimi founded The EZER Foundation in 2023 to continue this mission of shelter and restoration for trauma survivors. In Hebrew, EZER means “a powerful God-kind of rescue” — and that’s what this home has represented for so many over the years. It’s also what Mimi is praying for now.

Mimi wants her family to finally be able to come home year-round and hopes this sanctuary can continue to serve and shelter those in need for years to come. Your support will help restore this vital space and the hope it represents for Mimi and the many survivors she serves now and hopes to serve into the future.

From the bottom of Mimi’s heart: thank you.

Thank you for taking the time to listen, to care, and to consider lending your support. Every bit of attention, every share, every donation, and every prayer matters more than words can express.