Hi Everyone, we are trying to help out Ms. Peggy. She is 82 years old and needs renovations done to her home so it's safe for her to return home.

A few years ago, a tree damaged her roof during a storm. She had a company come out and tarp it but didn't know what to do from there. Time passed, and the tarp stopped keeping the water out, so she did the best she knew how without asking for help. Her home became unlivable with mold and water damage. On top of that, her HVAC isn't working, and the septic is backed up.

We are asking the community to help us get her home so she can age in place and enjoy her house for years to come.

Story from those who helped start this all.

LONG POST!!! But well worth the read please SHARE SHARE SHARE !!

I met Mrs. Peggy in October of last year following Hurricane Helene. Her power was out, much like everyone else in the surrounding area. She was looking for a place to cool off and to stay for a few days until power was restored. I referred her to Family Promise of the Coastal Empire where she was able to stay for a few days and return home. Her return home was a day I cannot forget. As I walked through her front door to put down her bags, I was instantly saddened by what I saw. This place she called home had been overtaken by black mold, and she had a sizeable hole in her roof that had remnants of a tattered tarp that was doing its best to stand its ground. The strong smell of mold and mildew smacked me in the face along with the reality that sweet Mrs. Peggy has been living in these conditions longer than I ever thought possible. I offered to help connect her with resources to help remedy this situation but could tell that Mrs. Peggy was hesitant to let me linger for too long. For months I checked in with her periodically by calling her or dropping in.

In January, she was on my mind again with the forecasted amount of snow and ice we were going to see in the area, so the Family Promise came through again and helped house her until the heavy snow and ice had melted off her now severely damaged roof. Fast forward to June this year, Mrs. Peggy called and said she now had water flowing into her living room. A quick drop-in made it evident that she desperately needed help and quick. She said she was now ready to connect with someone to get her roof repaired. At this point, this was far beyond a simple roof repair, as the black mold in her home had creeped through most of the walls, ceiling, furniture, and carpet throughout her home. I was able to connect her with a few agencies/programs that could possibly help her start the process. Fast forward a few weeks, our area saw a tremendous amount of rain. I recently came back into town after being gone for 11 days and dropped-in to see Mrs. Peggy. When she opened the door, there stood a woman who was defeated and at the point of breaking. Mrs. Peggy ended up being admitted to the hospital that night and stayed there for 4 days. Unfortunately, while talking with a social worker, there was no real progress on where Mrs. Peggy would return to after discharge. It was not safe for her to go back home. If you work in Public Service, you know that one of the most valuable assets you have are those connections you’ve made with those around you. These are the people who work in the community you live in and who have proven to you time and again that they will do anything in their power to help those that they serve. Mrs. Katrina Bostick and her team with The Family Promise stepped up and welcomed Mrs. Peggy with open arms, essentially saving her from transitioning to a homeless shelter. Mrs. Peggy is 82, walks with a walker, lives alone, loves her independence, knows where everything is in her home, but was and is still is in desperate need for someone to see her situation and want better for her. She has been out of her home now for 3 weeks and what has transpired over these last two weeks has been nothing short of an absolute miracle. Her neighbors who were unaware of the full situation, have really shown so much support for her and the outreach is amazing! Mrs. Peggy voiced to me yesterday that her faith in humanity has been restored. Her roof has been replaced, free of charge. Her dilapidated, unsafe deck is being replaced. The entire house needs to be gutted from the inside and made new again. Volunteers have stepped up to move everything out of her home. Contractors have reached out to help to include donating blinds, furniture, and to cut back her massive amount of trees she has in her backyard, so they don’t fall on her roof again. The love her community has shown for someone they have never met is beautiful to see. There is so much to be done still, and other items needed to help complete this project. The next step is to take out a majority of the drywall to get the black mold out. This is a 3 bedroom/2 bath home.

I say all this to bring awareness to this situation and possibly connect someone reading this to others who may be able to assist or donate materials or know the right people to call to continue to move this amazing project forward and bring Mrs. Peggy home to age in place in a safe environment that eliminates the stress and anxiety that she has had consume her for years over the condition of her home. I am no one special, just someone who walked into a home one day and took a good look around and couldn’t ignore it. I have seen Mrs. Peggy almost every day since she was at the hospital and her spirit has already lifted so much. She has even gotten involved in the Senior Citizen Center and met some new friends. As scary as this has been for her, she continues to stay optimistic and trust that those who are helping her have her best interest in mind.

If anyone can donate towards this sweet lady, please consider doing so.