When her car’s transmission went out, everything changed.
Sharon has lived in her home for 42 years. She has a son who lives with her, a daughter and two grandsons. Often, Sharon has struggled to get by, and her financial situation became more serious when she was unexpectedly retired.
“I’d pawned my car title and the transmission went out on the car. The next day, I lost my job. That hit me all at once,” she said, “and everything kind of went downhill financially.
“I had no money. Now, I live off my social security check – and for two people, it’s not that big. It’s barely a thousand dollars [a month]. And I still don’t have a car. Fortunately, the house is paid for, so at least I have a place to stay.”
Unfortunately, just paying for essentials wasn’t Sharon’s only need. Her house had some major repair needs.
“My roof was the worst thing. It had open holes in the roof where sheetrock was hanging down. You could see through the roof, up to the sky in some places,” she said. “We would have to take bins to catch water that came in and then dump it outside. It was crazy.
“But I didn’t have money for home repairs. Sometimes I was lucky just to have fed my dog.”
On top of that, Sharon’s son has a diagnosed mental illness. She was in need of help, and luckily she knew where to turn.
“Several years ago, Home Repairs had done some work for me. The steps had literally fallen off my deck, and they repaired that, as well as a leaking water pipe, which they came out and fixed in the cold, cold weather. They were a blessing,” she said.
Thanks to Home Repairs volunteers’ help earlier this year, plus help from Habitat for Humanity, Sharon was able to have her ceiling repaired and roof replaced.
“The volunteers were great guys. They showed up when they were supposed to. They called me and let me know in advance, and they were all just sweet, polite, good guys. I loved them all,” she said.
“They also left their leftover paint and stuff with me which is really helpful. I live in a tri-level home, and they went out of their way to repair the little cracks in the very high ceiling. They didn’t have to do that.
“I asked God to bless them, because they were a blessing to me.”
For Sharon, getting her home repaired wasn’t just for the sake of appearance; it was a serious situation.
“I almost got a citation for my roof not being up to code because I had to have tarps on it and use boards to hold the tarps down. The man who came out to check it was a nice guy and didn’t write me up. But if he had, I would’ve gone to jail, because there’s no way I could have gotten it fixed if Home Repairs hadn’t helped me,” Sharon said.
“Before, when I looked at the ceiling and saw all the insulation and everything hanging down – it was depressing. But it’s just been a lift in my mood [having it fixed]. It’s a miracle – seriously.”
Sharon knows she isn’t the only one who’s found herself in desperate times. She wants others to know that Home Repairs can help them, too, and that they’re well worth giving a call.
“[The volunteers] were funny and cheerful, patient and very lovable. They didn’t act like it was a bother to be helping me; they’re just really good people – God’s people,” she said. “I can’t say enough words about them. They’re just great; I couldn’t have asked for anyone better.
“I would highly recommend Home Repairs and would tell others not to feel badly and not to give up hope. Because there is hope out there.”
