Teachers often put the needs of their own families aside in order to better serve the students – other people’s family members – in their classroom.
Here’s a chance for the community to help a teacher restore a home for her family after a disaster.
Erin Pahl is a math teacher at Poinciana High School. Her family’s Haines City home was lost to a devastating fire on Sept. 19. The fire completely destroyed her family’s living room, dining room, and kitchen. The smoke from the fire quickly spread to the rest of the home, damaging furniture, clothes, and all of their belongings.
Pahl lives in the home with two of her sons, including a 14-year-old freshman who comes to PHS with her, and their pets. Currently, the family has found temporary housing for their two dogs, and has been returning daily to the home to feed two cats.
“Our dog knocked over a Halloween candle,” Pahl said. “We were able to salvage some clothes, but that was about it.”
The Red Cross stepped in to replace some clothes and provide funds for a hotel for a limited time. So a family friend has set up a GoFundMe account to help Pahl’s family through this difficult time. It can be found at https://gf.me/v/c/hyc9/help-mspahl-rebuild-her-home.
She said the local fire chief has determined there is no way to repair the damage, so they will have to rebuild or relocate. Once hotel funds run out, the family will need to find a place to live while they rebuild, so Pahl said those who want to help can best do it through the GoFundMe, which has raised over $1,000 through Tuesday.
Pahl said she returned to PHS and her classroom days after the fire.
“I needed to do something after we had taken care of everything else like dealing with insurance,” she said. “People who know have been so supportive. “We just want things to be back to normal.”
