Help for a friend?

Nancy Laird

Member
Messages
1,417
Location
Rio Rancho, NM
Hello, all. I'm asking for help for some friends in need.

Joe and Lora Chandler, owners of Pioneer Woodworks in Portales, NM, lost their entire shop in a fire on Thursday, September 20. Here's a link to the newspaper article abouit the fire.

> Link to Online Story <

If any of you know of any tools or equipment that may be available to Joe and Lora, please let me know by e-mail or PM and we can work out something to get those things to them. They have received a couple of table saws, an edge sander, and his spindle boring machine is salvagable, but they need a wide-belt sander, and other machines and tools.

If you can help, please let me know.

Thanks,

Nancy (87 days)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Nancy, I don't have anything to offer as far as tools, but please do let them know all of us at FWW are hoping they recover quickly from their loss.
 
FYI, hubby and I are in process of setting up an account for Joe and Lora. I will post particulars when I know. Thank you, everyone.

Nancy (86 days)
 
Just a note, if they had any Lie Nielsen tools, have your friends gather them up, no matter the shape they are now in, and send them back to Lie Nielsen. Those tools are guaranteed for life no matter the reason. When I worked for them a guys shop burned down and Lie Nielsen replaced them free of charge of course.
 
Below is the text of an e-mail I received from Lora Chandler this morning. I think this explains everything:

"Below is a post I placed on Woodweb yesterday after getting some emails about why we didn't have insurance and also some negative comments about whether we should even try to rebuild since we probably don't know how to run a business anyway. I know I don't have to answer things like that, but I thought your friends on the forums you have contacted might have similar questions. If you would like to post this message from me on the forums you are a member of, please do. It's up to you. Here it is:

Our fire was caused by lightning. We had two direct hits between our office area and the paint booth. We don't know exactly how it began. We only know the hits must have exploded something very close to flammable material because the fire traveled very very fast. The fire departments in our entire county responded within 5 minutes, but all they could do was control the burn. I know you are all wondering about why we didn't have insurance and how stupid we must be to let that happen. But, I can only tell you that for twenty years, we had insurance and never had a claim. Last February, Joe had to have surgery and before he left the hospital ten days later, he had four surgeries due to complications from the first one. It has been a long and very difficult recovery. He is doing better, but this situation came on the heels of one of our major customers telling us they were moving their furniture interests and purchasing to China and would no longer be buying furniture from us. This was a blow to our sales that we are still in the process of trying to overcome. Our expenses were still high while our income was suddenly/immediately significantly lower. Our ability to keep our cash flow stable during this past year has been nonexistent. We had to lay off some employees and reduce our spending to the bare bones and that included insurance for which the premiums were too high to pay and we couldn't borrow the money. We prayed we wouldn't have a fire and we have been so careful to observe safety measures in order to prevent the possibility of a fire; but our prayers were not answered and a fire occurred through no mistakes or fault of our own. There is so much more to this story, but I don't have the energy to tell it all. We are living with chaos and it will be that way until cleanup is finished. We are trying to go forward, trying to find hope and each person who encourages us with a kind word, a prayer, or five dollars is an angel in my opinion. Thank you to all who have posted concern. We are deeply grateful. Joe and Lora Chandler; Chad and Shannon Chandler; and all employees of Pioneer Woodworkers, Inc. Portales, NM"

I think this says it all.

Nancy (85 days)
 
Nancy, let me know when you get this account up and running, will send something to put in their. People are so unfeeling at times. To think these people going through a tragedy and then someone telling them they are stupid, life is not fair and it bites sometimes.
 
Nancy, if you can do PayPal, I'm in.

I'd also like to say, that while things are very bleak, they could be a LOT worse, "Joe" could have not made it through the surgery, and someone else could have been killed in the fire. Workshops and tools can be replaced.

Things WILL get better for them.

Please count me in, and, like I say, if you can do PayPal, it will be much easier.

Cheers!
 
Stu, I don't do PayPal, but I will send you the account number and the electronic access number, and your bank there could make an electronic transfer of funds - sort of like paying a bill on-line. And you are right--THINGS can be replaced, people can't. My husband drove this home when our daughter totalled her car and was so distraught over it...and when my china cabinet fell off the wall and destroyed 4 generations worth of china/crystal/porcelain. (Don't ask.)

Nancy (85 days)
 
Sorry to hear about your friends Nancy. My sister and BIL went to school in Portales, so I know a little bit about the place, having been there a number of times myself.

Too bad, as the bank Charges on my end will be near $30, just to send even 1 cent :(
Stu, if you want to PayPal it to me, I can forward it to Nancy either directly or via a check. (I suspect she'll have an easier time with a check from the US.) Drop me a PM if you're interested.
 
"Below is a post I placed on Woodweb yesterday after getting some emails about why we didn't have insurance and also some negative comments about whether we should even try to rebuild since we probably don't know how to run a business anyway."

This is the mentality that gave birth to Family Wood Working. I suppose I should at least be thankful for that.
However, IMHO anyone who would make a statement such as this should be immediately cut off and banned from any form of public communication.

DT
 
We now have set up a donation account for Joe and Lora, and here's the information:

First Community Bank - Portales, NM
Joe or Lora Chandler Donation Account
Account #0003246051
Bank Routing #107001452

Any help you can give these folks will be appreciated.

Thank you all.

(And thank YOU, Don, for your comment. I heartily agree.)

Nancy (85 days)
 
I'm bumping this again for the sake of those who might not have seen it first time around. Joe and Lora are slowing getting things cleaned up and have found another building to use temporarily until they can rebuild their shop. David and I are going to Portales this weekend to help with what we can, take some stuff Joe ordered from the store, and provide some moral support.

Thank you all for your help.

Nancy (80 days)
 
That's great Nancy! I'll bet the moral support will be as useful as our monetary contributions. BTW, mine is in there now.

For those of you in New Mexico and Colorado, you can just drop into your local First Community bank with the account number, fill out a deposit slip, and its done!
 
Top