Monetary Donations__________________
- The Wells Fargo bank account has been closed to further donations. Thank you to everyone for helping out!
Collect Memories (Photos)______________
Matthew Best is living up to his name by offering his photo services. If anyone has photos from times with Jen and Alan, please send them to him via e-mail. Any format, digital or physical is fine; he’ll get them printed up. Just e-mail him at mlassalleb@gmail.com to coordinate.
Also, does anyone know what size Alan wears?
I’ve been working on getting this info as well. Not sure if anybody but Jen knows this info. I can only make an educated guess.
Does anyone know what things were most important to Alan and Jen? Did Alan love comics, video games, books, etc? Did Jen have a favorite thing or hobby?
Please advise!
Thanks,
Camille
Ok some updated info for Alan’s pant sizes courtesy of Rachel. He is a 32/34 waist and I’m pretty sure any jeans would need to be in the “long” style. T-shirts are probably a medium as well.
Alan loved video games. I’m sure Matt or Kyle can get a list of his favorites. I know Josh has a handheld he is going to give to Alan. Not sure if it’s a DS or PSP.
haha Alan LOVES not loved!
Matt and I can definitely handle info on a lot of the geeky stuff Alan likes. I’m donating a PS2 as well.
Frazer, Chris, and I also have him covered on that end.
We can get him up to ‘dork standard’ in no time.
True that. You and Frazer will have great input as well.
It’s almost too easy.
Stupid question, but do we know the rules and laws in regards to how to properly setup donations for tax purposes? I don’t mean deductions for those who give; I mean making sure that (if this is possible) the help that Alan and Jen receive does not leave them with a big tax bill as some form of ‘income’ if we did not follow some stupid IRS rule or file their fund as a non-profit.
Does anyone know a CPA or tax professional who would be able to answer this question?
Kyle isn’t a tax professional but he does accounting. Does he have any knowledge about that stuff?
I have a little bit of knowledge on this, but I want to run it by the CPA I worked with over the summer and see what she says.
I work in a CPA office and as far as I know, the money will go as a gift, which is non-taxable. So Alan and Jen won’t have to pay tax on the money.. I also believe that the givers can donate up to $500 of charitable contributions without having to document proof (although it’s always suggested, it’s rare that the IRS will look into it if it is under 500)- and you can use that contribution on your annual deductions.
I THINK this is right. I’ll check with my CPA when he gets back from lunch.
As far as I know, any individual can give another individual up to $13,000 before it is taxable. They should be fine…
Donovan is pretty much spot on. CPA confirms they should have nothing to worry about.
I don’t live anywhere near a Wells Fargo bank. Is there any way to donate to the account online? If not, is there an address where checks could be mailed (and to whom would the check be made out)?
Thanks to anyone who knows…
and am I the only one who lives in the boonies???
You never know where banks will or won’t be. They can be rascally. I updated this page with an address for you to send checks. We trust Kyle to have money sent to his place. Address is above. Not sure if we’re going to get an online option, we’ll see.
To whom would the check be made out? Jen? Spelling of last name? Or to the Wells Fargo Account for Alan? Thanks…
All:
I don’t know how to get ahold of Jen right now, but if any of you do, could you pass on the following information? I spoke to a friend who lives in Alan and Jen’s complex and she volunteers with the Red Cross. I asked if the Red Cross could help out, here’s what she said:
“I’ve been wondering if there was a way the Red Cross could get in touch with Alan and Jen because we couldn’t find out any of their contact info. So, I’m glad you’re in touch with them! I’m not totally familiar what we can do because my job is to assist people during and immediately after a disaster, so I don’t have a good idea what the procedure is for helping people several days after a disaster. I just called my friend who is a Red Cross caseworker to get some info. After I open cases, they are sent to him and he works with people in the days after a disaster. We have to talk to the actual victim and can’t work through their family, however my friend told me that since Alan’s girlfriend is also a victim of the disaster, she can have a case opened for the two of them. This way, the process should be able to begin before Alan regains consciousness and Jen could get help now since she’s no longer in the hospital. Jen can call my Red Cross chapter at 1-800-842-7349 and tell them that her home was destroyed in the fire and she didn’t talk to the Red Cross on scene because she was rushed to the hospital before they arrived. Her situation happens all the time, so that is the number set up for people like her to call. They should even know about her already since I have alerted them. They will likely send a caseworker out to meet with her. Depending on their situation, the kinds of possible assistance the caseworker might be able to provide includes a hotel room or help with a month’s rent; money for groceries, clothing, and/or bedding; help replacing lost prescription medications and devices; and mental health counseling. That’s basically the extent of the help the Red Cross is equipped to offer. We want to help them so please encourage her to call!”
Please pass the phone number to Jen, they are waiting for her call and willing to help any way they can.
Thanks!
Thanks for this, I passed the info on to people who are in touch with Jen.
Thanks, Adrienne. By the way, do you know the correct spelling of Jen’s last name so that I can pass it along to the Red Cross?
Sure, it’s Larsen.
Where do we send personal items? Can someone post a drop off point or address to collect things? What about checks that people want to send in? Thanks!
I updated this page with some information about item donation. Email Mai-Linh to coordinate a drop off.
If there is anything specifically that I can send to help please let me know. I am going shopping this weekend for Alan and want to make sure I get him what he needs!!!
Thanks
We found out Alan’s show size last night. It’s a 9 1/2. But if you know the shoe runs small better to go bigger than smaller.
Found out last night with our visit with Jen that she wears a 7 1/2 shoe size. She says she is a size 8 in pants. Also, Alan has been buying a lot of Woot shirts lately and he has preferred the Men’s small.
Yes, Lauren is right. Alan is a big fan of retro T-shirts (old school cartoons Transformers etc.) and generally funny T-shirts.
Woot.com is a great site for that.
Some others are:
http://www.80stees.com
http://www.snorgtees.com
Jen’s last name spelling is Larsen not larson
I thought that was the case. But was having trouble finding confirmation on that.
Adrienne, could you put “Make checks payable to Alan Schuler or Jen Larsen” by the check-mailing info?
Do we want to maybe have them payable the recovery fund instead? So Alan and Jen don’t have to worry about depositing x amount of checks themselves? Not a big deal, just a thought.
Let me know what’s best and I’ll post it. Who would they make it out to if it goes to the fund?
I don’t think depositing checks is a big deal. I’m sure withdrawing the money from the recovery fund will be more work and require a trip to the bank anyway.
Sounds good. I asked everybody that stuck around after the meeting last night and they tended to agree that Jen would be the better option to make the checks payable towards.
Kyle, I sent a check to your address made out to Alan’s recovery fund/Wells Fargo acct. I hope you can put it in the account the way it is made out! I mailed it before all the decisions were final on whom the checks should be made out to/pay pal option. Let me know (or tell Dan) if you have any problem with the check, ok?
Martha,
Thanks, I recieved your check!! I don’t foresee there being a problem but I’ll definitely let you or Dan know if I get stuck trying to deposit it. Much appreciated!
-Kyle
thats my brother and his girlfriend :’( PLEASE< PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, donate
thx
I stopped by Ahwatukee Foothills News today to see if they would do a large article on Alan and Jen. They ran a small one in today’s paper with info about this site, which is good. The lady I talked to said they could do a larger article if there was an event planned for the Ahwatukee area. Just something to keep in mind if any ideas for this part of town come up.
I am working on getting new keys and a new alarm/remote start system into Alan’s car, but I may need help getting it from the apartment complex to Ultimate Electronics on U.S. 60 and Stapley Dr. The current alarm is active and so even when I get replacement keys it can not be started until we disable the existing alarm and install the new one in the shop. It is still cheaper to put a new alarm system in than try to order a replacement key fob since we don’t carry the brand that Alan originally had and the installers don’t program that brand (I already got Ultimate Electronics to donate the labor and all I need to do is buy the parts at cost, under $200). Does anyone know anyone who could arrange to get the car towed? If someone has a AAA membership they might get free towing.
FYI – I put this up as a post. Wendy Piatkowski commented and said she’s got AAA just let her know when you want to meet at the condo.
Matt, please let me know when you need payment for the parts. Mothers come with a checkbook/debit card
Thanks for all of your help!
Janet
Has anyone brought up the idea of doing an art exhibition with a silent auction? I know there are a lot of artists among us, and if we can get smaller pieces donated, we could do a silent auction, maybe with some larger pieces having a minimum bid or something like that
Hi Michelle, Mai Linh has been working to coordinate some different fund-raising efforts you might try talking to her about your idea. Sounds like an interesting one for sure!
Thanks, I couldn’t remember if i mentioned it before or not!