written by Rachel Contreras
The Need
The Aardsma family purchased a home during a time of family hardship, and quickly found it was in need of major repairs that left it unlivable. They are now living with relatives while the home is renovated. Donations and volunteers are needed to help complete the project and get them back into a home of their own. Please join us in helping them build a stable future for their family!
The Story
Matthew and Esther Aardsma live in Central Illinois with their 5 children, ages 4-12. Several years ago, this Christian homeschooling family experienced serious hardships, including physical and mental health challenges. As they worked hard to stabilize their family after this extremely difficult time, they purchased an affordable fixer-upper house in the Champaign-Urbana area.
Matthew, a professional handyman at the time, began some simple updates to the home before the family moved in. But they were devastated to find serious issues hiding inside the walls and under the floors, including mold, asbestos, water damage, unsafe electrical wiring, and major termite damage to the main beams requiring extensive structural repairs.
With these major issues exposed, the house was now worth much less than the Aardsmas had paid for it. They could not continue to live in it, but they could not afford the repairs needed to make the house livable, or afford to sell at a major financial loss. Out of options, they have moved in with Matthew’s sister and her family.
Matthew and Esther plan to complete extensive renovations and then sell the house, using any profit from the sale to purchase a good home closer to their support network. Significant portions of the project have already been completed, including the major structural repairs. But it is still expected to be nearly a year before the house will be ready to be sold and their family can move forward from this major burden.
How You Can Help
Donate! Your generous donations will pay for the materials for this project, which will be completed by Matthew and our wonderful volunteers. If funds are raised beyond the cost of the materials, contractors will be hired to significantly speed up the project.
Volunteer! If you are local to Champaign-Urbana, please consider volunteering as a worker on this project. No construction or remodeling experience needed; we will teach you on the job!
Learn More! You can learn more about the Aardsma family and receive project updates here, or on Facebook.
God bless you for your generosity, and the difference you are making for the Aardsma family!
Project Haven 