Kameka – a believer in God, a mother and a homeowner – received help from Home Repairs Ministries during a time when she needed it most.
“I’m a 44-year-old mom of two kids who are 24 and 25 now. After my divorce, I had to raise them myself. For a while, I thought I was doing a pretty good job maintaining [our situation]. But 2023 was rough for all of us,” she said.
Financial issues can shake even the smoothest of lives. Add home maintenance and health concerns and it becomes nearly unmanageable.
“I had the same administrative job for 22 years. It was a comfort for me, because I knew income was coming in, and it was a way to make sure my kids were taken care of ,” she said. “But things started changing when my daughter developed mental health issues, and I had to make a difficult decision that pushed me out of that job and left me with no income.”
The situation kept building to where she knew she couldn’t do it on her own. She credits the Lord with helping her during this difficult time.
“On top of being jobless, I was taking care of my daughter who’s going through a lot. She’s been staying at facilities, and I’m making sure she gets on the right medicine and trying to figure out how I’m going to pay for it,” Kameka said. “By the grace of God, today we are still standing and she’s doing a lot better.”
Kameka soon found out she had some more trouble coming her way.
“In the midst of not having the funds to do extra things, I realized my exterminator was still doing routine checks; it was already paid for. When he came by that day, for whatever reason, he felt the need to schedule a supervisor who does the full check of the house,” she said.
“Because it’s so well insulated, I didn’t hear moving around or stuff like that. But from the photos, it was apparent that the damage was already done to the attic – I had a rodent issue in my attic.
“Of course, when you’re a homeowner, you know some repairs will need to be done. But with all of this happening at the same time… I was like, I can’t afford anything at this point.”
Kameka gives glory to God for finding her a ministry to meet her needs.
“It had to be God because I was so desperate that I would search for things daily to see what was out there to help single moms,” she said. “I just stumbled across them, and I have no clue how! It’s a ministry-based program, and I’m not perfect, but I have a strong foundation when it comes to my beliefs and faith in God.”
Everybody needs a little help sometimes, and Kameka was blessed to find it through Home Repairs when she needed it the most.
“I had a few exterminators come by, and they told me it would cost $3,500 to fix. So when Home Repairs Ministries called me back and said they wanted to help me, I began to cry. Something like that probably seems small, but it was just a lot on my plate then, and that was something they could take off my shoulders.”
Kameka not only received much-needed help for her house but also encouragement for her heart.
“Clarence [HRM’s Project Manager] scheduled an inspection with the extermination company. And he told me, ‘I feel pretty confident that they know what they’re doing, but if there’s ever an issue, call us. If you ever need something, call us,’” she said.
“It just seemed unreal to me. I just kept telling them what a blessing they were. It all kept my beliefs even stronger at a time when I was doubting.”
Sometimes God works in ways people don’t usually expect, like spiritual uplifting from something as seemingly non-spiritual as a rodent extermination.
“It may seem strange that I got all this from getting rid of critters, but it goes deeper than that. They were a helpful hand at a time when I didn’t know where I was going to get that from,” Kameka said.
“It’s more than a home repair – it’s a ministry. They were able to ask me what my concerns were and how they could help, but they also prayed with me. I was in the middle of the grocery store, but I didn’t care! I stood there and prayed with them over the phone, and it was something I really needed.”
Kameka wants others to find the same help she was able to, and she wants to do her part by donating and keeping it going.
“If I’m ever in a position where I’m making more money, I’m giving back to them as much as I can,” she said. “I know other people are in the same position I’m in, and I want them to be able to [provide help] for someone else.”
She also encourages anyone else who may want to monetarily support Home Repairs Ministries. “You can know your donations are going to a great cause when people are actually doing the work, taking the time and effort to go the extra mile. That’s where you want your donations to go, to a group of people that are willing to help,” she said. “Your donation wouldn’t be wasted!”
