Life with children – even when life is going well – has its challenges. But when your home starts to need repair help, simple things like making dinner can become a major stress.
Lifelong Duluth resident Victoria and husband Michael moved into their current home six years ago, and they have five children: Jeremiah (14), Olivia (12), Holliday (5), Esme (3) and Harper, who passed away.
Both Victoria and Michael work, but money is sometimes tight. And when they found something wrong while renovating their kitchen, they didn’t have much time – or money – to spare.
“We were able to do most of the renovations ourselves,” Victoria said, “but there was something going on with the electrical that we couldn’t figure out. We weren’t comfortable doing it ourselves, but we couldn’t afford to hire an electrician.
“Also, we discovered that our bathtubs needed repair when they both started leaking. The kids’ bathroom leaked into the foyer downstairs, and our bathtub leaked into our laundry room.
“Our only real option was to do the work ourselves. But at the time, my husband was an over-the-road truck driver, so he was rarely home. And we didn’t have the money to pay for anyone to do the repairs.”
Thanks to Perimeter Church’s shepherdess ministry, Victoria found out about the work Home Repairs Ministries does for homeowners in need.
Just two weeks after contacting Home Repairs, a group of volunteers came out to assess the Lantrips’ repair needs.
“The volunteers were just great. Not only were they able to finish the lights in our kitchen and repair the tub leaks, they were understanding of our situation without being judgmental,” she said.
“[Having these repairs done] has made our lives so much easier. Now I can go into my kitchen and use the lights so I can actually see to cook dinner. Plus, with the tubs repaired, we can once again give our little girls baths instead of having to try and give them a shower.”
Victoria is grateful for the attitudes and actions of the volunteers that helped them get back to normal.
“Thank you for making my house able to function again. Sometimes, you take things for granted when you have them, but when you don’t, you realize how badly you need those items,” she said.
“I really appreciate all of the work that was done and the way they helped our family by taking the stress of home repairs off our plate.
“When you need help, Home Repairs comes, does the work needed and helps get your life back on track. They’re a nonjudgmental group of people who truly want to help.”