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By Miriam Raftery
Photos: left: Melissa Taylor, in front of burned-out shell of her former mobilehome, right: new mobilehome
July 10, 2024 (El Cajon) – Last August, 65-year-old Melissa Taylor lost everything when a fire destroyed her mobile home in El Cajon, as ECM reported. Now, thanks to the generosity of donors who responded to her GoFundMe plea and a modest insurance settlement, she now has a new mobile home on the same site where she’s lived for 19 years. But she needs more help before she can move in.
“She has no air conditioning, or furnishings. She needs a washer and dryer," asl well as some other appliances to "make it livable,” says Kari Dodson, a long-time friend of Taylor’s. “She hasn’t been able to move in yet, so we are still keeping the donations link active.” You can donate here.
Kari Dodson, a friend of Taylor’s, told ECM our prior coverage helped bring in donations that enabled Taylor to replace her burned home, “Thank you for your support and concern,” Dodson told ECM. “Your reporting does help the community immeasurably!”
Taylor awoke at night to find her mobile home engulfed in flames. She narrowly escaped, but her four cats perished. She has not yet been able to adopt new pets, since she’s been staying with friends while working to rebuild her life.
She is well known in the community, thought highly of by friends and customers alike. She has worked for Uncle Mikes Pest Control for 27 years and is thankful that her work truck was not damaged so she could continue to support herself.
“I work[ed] hard for it,” she said after her home burned. “I work hard every day.”
She told ECM, “I’ve lived there 19 years and that’s the longest I’ve lived anywhere since I was 11…. It’s home to me, my friends are there, and I like it.”
Now she has the opportunity to return home—with a little more help from the community to afford the furniture, appliances and air conditioning needed to make her new residence livable.
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