An electrician has been praised after organising his community to help repair the house of an elderly neighbour, all completely free of charge.
Massachusetts handyman John Kinney decided to set up the heartwarming initiative after being called to the home of 72-year-old Gloria Scott after her over head light fixture went out.
Although Kinney had originally been enlisted to help with one repair job, it quickly became clear that Scott’s home was facing several serious problems.
Unable to afford the substantial maintenance costs for her property, Scott’s home had fallen into severe disrepair, to the point where Kinney was seriously troubled after his visit. As he explained in an interview with CBS:
“No lights, running water… I [saw] her on a Friday and it stuck with me over the weekend… I said, ‘I got to go back there.’”
What Kinney did next went well beyond the call of duty. Determined to help, he set up the “Gloria’s Gladiators” Facebook group, organising an appeal on behalf of Scott to help fund resources for an extensive repair job.
In his first post, Kinney explained:
“Last week, I met a nice old woman that lives all alone in Woburn. She has no internet or cell phone. When sparks started shooting out of her light fixture, she went to a neighbor, and they gave her my number.
“When I arrived at her house I discovered that the electrical was in very bad shape. Half her lights were out, she had no stove, and her refrigerator was plugged into an extension cord. I fixed her immediate electrical hazards and got her lights and air conditioning on.
Watch this dog deliver groceries to neighbors who are self-isolating:“When all the lights came on, I saw that her ceilings were falling apart, her kitchen sink was broken, and that the place was filthy. She told me that critters often got in the house. The outside was no better. Gutters were falling down and it was surrounded by a jungle. She has no family, and money is tight.
“I got some volunteers together and we went in there and did a ton of yard work and cleanup. Everyone did an amazing job, and this nice old woman was very grateful. It’s simply just not enough though. She has some serious plumbing issues that need to be corrected. There is extensive drywall repair to be done. A massive amount of painting. Her front porch brick steps are an accident waiting to happen.
“I’m not looking to rebuild her whole house. I just want to make it safe and livable for her. I have a network of skilled professionals that will donate their time to this cause. I’m looking to raise money for materials. Thank you very much.”
Since his plea, the project has raised almost $100,000 for repairs and has brought the whole community together.
Scott was unsurprisingly astonished at the outpouring of generosity, exclaiming, “Look at these people…[You] can’t even comprehend the gratitude that I have.” It just goes to show that community spirit is not dead yet.
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