What’s The Plan & Why?

Below you will find THE PLAN to empower homeowners to be more resilient in total loss situations, and you should also know WHY I am so passionate about doing this. (Feedback to improve the plan is welcome via email.)

THE PLAN

Losing your home to a disaster is a profoundly life changing experience. Wisdom to optimize recovery is often lost as we fight for survival. Failure to capture lessons condemns us to repeat the same mistakes in the future.

TipsFromSurvivors is a place to learn lessons from people who lost their homes, so you can protect yours and recover faster if you do.

The past four years have produced some of the biggest firestorms in our nation’s history. Being on the front lines, I have personally witnessed opportunities to improve future recovery response, from supply donations, animal reunification, re-population, debris removal, to emergency housing and rebuilding.

I have chosen to focus on housing as the best way I can help communities minimize the economic damage to all citizens residing in affected areas.

I am working to create a model for disaster resiliency that also reduces reliance on insurance companies. Learning by setting the example is far more effective than talking about it.

  1. PHASE 1, TINY HOME: Build a tiny home and advocate for legalization for emergency housing and conversion to an accessory dwelling.
  2. PHASE 2, HEMPCRETE HOME: Develop a parcel of land with a primary home made from hempcrete which is a disaster resilient material, energy efficient and it sequesters carbon.
  3. PHASE 3, TIPSFROMSURVIVORS: Offer recovery wisdom to survivors. For those rebuilding, they will be invited to learn about this next generation of resilient housing.

INTRODUCTION

PHASE 1: TINY HOMES (Last update 09.11.18)
It is crucial to create a resiliency model using tiny homes because it is highly likely that this build experience will influence the model for acceptance of tiny homes statewide. There will be a “HotBox Design Challenge” to make these homes more energy efficient which currently is a big issue, especially given our need to reduce carbon emissions from ALL sources.

This is approximately what I want the tiny home model to look like

PHASE 2: HEMPCRETE (Last update 09.11.18)
This initiative is planned for about 1-2 years from now. There is on-going work being done toward Phase 2, but it isn’t the primary focus at this time.

PHASE 3 – TIPS FROM SURVIVORS

Upon completion of these two homes, it will be an example to learn from & lead by example in creating community resiliency, which I will share via direct postal mail to future disaster survivors.  THIS IS next generation of housing resiliency.

(video coming soon)

If you are interested in details about specific people I helped, over 500 hundred pages of documentation, the 250+ videos created since this journey began 4 years ago or my letters of support, please contact me directly HERE.

I have LOTS of information to share and am available for public speaking opportunities to help educate and gather support to create this resiliency model.

I am starting with easily achievable goals that get progressively harder, as follows:

  • Gathering 100 letters of support by Christmas
  • Organizing & completing a “HotBox Design Challenge” by May 2019 to improve energy efficiency of movable tiny homes (RVs)
  • Building a tiny home that is an example in energy efficiency by August 2019
  • Build the best possible example of a disaster resilient home beginning 2020.

I need talent & resources to achieve these goals, which is why I start with the smaller goals to help build momentum.

There will be a memorial & gratitude garden to honor all contributions which will be seen by future disaster survivors when they visit this home.

My hope is that contributors offering donations to this project will have an honorable mention & may have future business opportunities from the exposure this project can receive.

This is also an opportunity to leave a memorial or a piece of your character in art or wisdom to this special place. (named or anonymous)

This can be our gift to the future to inspire hope, comfort & connection in the face of tragic loss.

Hope, comfort & connection…. Isn’t that what the holiday season is about?

Happy holidays to you & yours!
~ Kimberly

WHY I’M DOING THIS & NEED YOUR HELP

TipsFromSurvivors.org exists because I lost my home while I was horrifically handicapped. This experience is what creates the passion and vision of what is possible.

My goal is to turn a situation that almost killed me into a gift for thousands of people and to create more of what I wanted for myself and others, when I needed it most.

TipsFromSurvivors began the moment my lawyer snapped this picture below. She quit practicing law after 15 years that day and became a history teacher. All those legal books behind me are worthless because our legal system is corrupted by those with the most money. (i.e. insurance companies) (LINK 1: Learn more about what happened here.)

I didn’t know how I was going to make my voice heard, but I knew I had to. I felt like I could no longer participate in humanity because what happened was so wrong. If people could allow what happened to me to be ok, then I wanted no part in life. However, I dared that it could be better, so I’ve given this project everything I have to give; financially, spiritually and energetically.

After the judge’s decision, I taught myself to do websites, videos and (gasp) social? media. I learned how to do this by creating video tributes for Robin Williams’ legacy. It was a deep and amazing journey into all facets of one of the most spectacular minds that ever graced this planet. This prepared me for the next phase of this journey to make my voice heard. (LINK 2: Read more about Robin’s gift here.)


——-My life was saved by Robin Williams, though he didn’t know it. However one of his dearest friends knows and has witnessed my journey since early 2015. (What a gift!) —–

“Preventing homelessness and keeping people from falling” was expressed by Robin as his deepest wish, when he testified Congress for the homeless. I completely agree. Once people have fallen, it is much harder to recover, if they ever do.

I have stumbled many times in trying to find my own voice the past several years, but I NEVER GAVE UP!!

This is one of the last lines (and central points) in the movie that saved my life with a painting of their dream home. The movie is about thought transcending physical form and how it continues after we are gone. What legacy will you leave?

One thing that became very clear on the 2nd anniversary of Robin’s passing was that I couldn’t use his legacy to make my own voice heard.

The answer to my prayers came a month later in 2015 when the Valley Fire displaced 20,000 people and 1 in 4 people found they didn’t have a home to return to in their community. I jumped in to help and had no idea how it would evolve.

My goal was not to be an expert in any one thing, but rather to witness as much as possible, so I could paint the broadest picture possible on opportunities to improve recovery. Since the Valley Fire there have been many large scale fires that I have been directly involved in. Each one has taught me important lessons worth sharing.


This tribute is angel inspired.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Here’s the link to learn more on how to help.


Ellen is an inspiration to me, and brings me joy.

Maybe for the first time in many years for me, I can have a Merry Christmas, and all of us can look forward to a better New Year!