Community Turns Out to Help Soldier in Need, But Family's Still Short of Goal

After deployments to both Iraq and Afganistan, SFC Jeremy Powell has had difficulty finding consistent, full-time work since he has been home and has gotten behind on his house payments. The family is forced to come up with $6,280.64 before Oct. 30 or Powell, his wife Wendy, and their three children; Victoria, James and Jacob, will have to leave the house they love.

"This is our first home together and we wanted to make it last," Wendy said. "It's not the Taj Mahal or anything but we've worked hard to fix it up and paint and everything. We have plans."

The family decided to reach out and ask the community for help rather than walk away from their mortgage or file for bankruptcy. 

"Rather than walk away from his commitment, like a good soldier, SFC Powell has decided to stand and fight, but he needs YOUR help," reads the ad posted on Patch, Sept. 30 by a family member. But the family still wasn't asking for donations. They advertised a yard sale on Friday and Saturday.

Jeremy currently has a security job but the couple still needs help making up for the months he was out of work.

"We made $1,570 Friday and $1,815.25 on Saturday," Wendy said in an email. Wendy and Jeremy will be married 11 years in January. "A grand total of $3,385.25. Isn't that so Awesome!!!! So now we only need $2,895.39 by Oct. 30. I think I met about five to eight people that said they knew about our yard sale because of Patch. Pretty cool. We had people buying stuff that would come to check out and just say 'Keep the change.'
 
"We had people who just gave us money when they couldn't find anything," she continued. "We also had a beautiful young woman who just gave us a donation of $1,000. Things that we never dreamed would sell---did. We were also told we wouldn't have anyone come after 10 Saturday morning. I think I saw my last costumer at 8:02 p.m. Saturday night. WOW!!! We are so overwhelmed. God has answered every prayer we and others prayed. This has been a very stressful-at times and heart wrenching process going through a foreclosure, however it has really strengthened our faith and amazed us with how much he really cares about everything in our lives." 

On Tuesday, the Chick-Fil-A in Dallas will be helping the family out as well, if they can get 100 people to come out and sign a fundraiser book. The Hiram Chick-Fil-A may also be holding a fundraiser on Oct. 22.

(Editor's note: Come back to Dallas-Hiram Patch at noon today to find out how you can help by going by your local Chick-Fil-A.)