Veneta or Bust

      Once upon a time in a land not so far away known as Veneta a boy named Josh and a girl named Anne fell in love. With stars in their eyes and hope in their hearts, they moved to the big city of Eugene and began to plan their beautiful future together. Then the bluebird of happiness pooped on them. As much as we all wish for a fairy tale life, it turns out life is more like survivor, full of stumbling blocks, hard knocks, and a few rewards.

      We both spent our teenage years growing up in Veneta. We have a desire to raise our family in a place we feel is home. We have family, friends, a school, and our church there. We feel drawn to the sense of community we have established there.
      Our family has outgrown our current home, which we share with Josh’s father who owns it and is going to sell it. There are 7 of us living in a 1000sq. ft home. The house is in need of major repairs. It has a hole in the bathroom wall and floor, mold which we think contributed to our newborn daughter developing pneumonia, and needs a new roof. It is expensive to heat in the winter and impossible to keep cool in the summer. It is in a undesirable area of the neighborhood where people have abandon stolen cars, broken into our car, and even set our car on fire. We have had bicycles(chained and padlocked) stolen along with other items.
      It has been difficult financially to cope with raising a family on one income. Anne is a stay at home mom caring for our four children, Mara age 7, Blake age 4, Lola age 2, and Ella age 3mos. We moved in with Josh’s dad just before our first child was born because we could not afford rent when Anne had to stop working. Her entire check and part of his would have gone to day care. We have tried several times to get financing for a home and have always had something that held us back; not enough income, not enough for a down payment, you make just enough not to qualify for the finacial aid, etc.,etc.
     We have been praying 7 years now for a way to be closer to our friends and family in Veneta. Hearing of this unbelievably charitable offer on the news, we feel our prayers could be answered. To be able to live in a decent home, without the burden of a huge mortgage payment, we could afford to give our children a good life and better education. We could even afford to get health insurance for our kids which we have not had in over 5 years. The kids would have a yard to play in!
     Getting this house would also allow us to do even more charitable work. Anne likes to take our children to bring flowers and talk to the residents in a local nursing home. The kids love making people smile and always tell Josh all about it when he gets home from work. We would love to be able to have an area for the kids to grow thier own flowers to share. There is nothing better than to know you brightened someone’s day when you peek back and see a tear running down their smiling face. We don’t get to do it often enough right now and too many people forget about the elderly. We would like to expand upon it one day and grow veggies for others in need. Josh makes house calls for people who can’t afford a contractor or mechanic, doing small things people can’t do for themselves. We like to give back, Pay It Forward, so to speak. This is an offer of such rare generosity that the one who wins should not let the charity stop, but continue.

  And with that they lived happily ever after with the gift from the fairy godfather.

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Thank you!
Josh, Anne, Mara, Blake, Lola, & Ella Reece

Welcome Home Reece family!
Welcome Home!