Family of 10 Homeless No Longer After Husband’s Death, Thanks to Businessman

Nine children and their mother in Fairfield, Maine were saved from homelessness by a local business owner Brent Burger.

He says he doesn’t know why he was so moved by the story in a newspaper, but decided he had to help, “paying out more than $70,000 and donating countless hours of labor and planning” to a project he devised for returning their house.

Karen Champagne and her children, ages 4 to 15, were facing eviction earlier this summer, unable to pay the mortgage after her mentally ill husband, Richard, accumulated about $145,000 in debt before committing suicide four years ago.

Not only did Mr. Burger return the deed and key to the family , he set up a Nine Days for Nine Children, a home-makeover challenge.

”I am overwhelmed by the generosity of so many people who have come forward to offer their time, and their money to support Nine Days for Nine Children, said Burger, the owner of Agway True Value in Winslow and four other stores across central Maine. “This will forever impact the lives of these terrific, deserving children. In spite of the difficulties these children have faced, they are bright, sociable, well-adjusted youngsters who have embraced life and hold their heads high. They play team sports, are honor roll students and maintain summer jobs.”

“It is my privilege to lend a helping hand to the Champagne family and set them on a course for self-sufficiency. It will clearly be up to them to use this opportunity as a launching pad for financial stability.”

(READ the Kennebec Morning Sentinel article here)