Please help us fix Kays roof!

Hi, you don’t know me, but my name is Steve and I enjoy fixing things for people. I am a journeyman electrician and I possess a decent skillset in carpentry and other areas of home repair, so I've been able to perform some electrical work, along with gate and fence repair, yard work, and even some roof patching, on occasion, for my friend Kay.

I first met Kay through my longtime friend Eleanor, who had already been assisting Kay for many years. We've both done our best to help Kay when the need arises, but now we have arrived at an obstacle that is urgent, yet seems insurmountable. Kay urgently needs a new roof on her small, aged home!

I am looking for help so I'd like to tell you a bit about Kay. Kay is a severely disabled, kind woman, about 60 years of age who was given up for adoption as an infant. Now Kay lives largely alone in the world with no family of her own to assist her with her recurring health demands. The last few years have brought many health complications to Kay that cause excessive pain, difficulty walking, and digestive issues leading to constant nausea. Kay suffers from severe Scoliosis to the point where she has already had to have her entire neck fused. Even Kay’s limited bodily movement causes a great deal of pain due to her degenerative arthritis and small fiber myopathy. Kay tries mightily to take care of her physical and financial needs without asking for outside help.

She is very uncomfortable reaching out to others for assistance, but now, as her condition steadily worsens, she is often left with little choice. Kay sustains herself on a very meager Social Security Benefit. She is often forced to choose which bills she will be able to pay each month. After her bills are paid, Kay has nothing left to save at the end of the month.

Anyway, believe me, I’m just an average Joe. I’m by no means rich, but recently I was moved to gift Kay $3000 to pay for urgent dental treatment calling for endodontic surgery. Even with her meager means, Kay still insisted on establishing a repayment plan. That’s just Kay. Frequently, after finishing a much-needed repair at her home, she would kindly try to repay for services by urging on us whatever canned food, or decorative objects, she might have on hand. My reason for writing this is that I would so like to help Kay replace her roof! About eight years ago, Kay obtained the first estimate to completely replace her roof. Kay was trusting and hopeful with the roofer recommended to her by a very dear friend. She somehow managed to obtain a loan at that time to undertake the work. You guessed it, the man took her money, but he didn't do the work he was hired to do. He did not replace the roof. It was only after a friend went up to inspect the roof that Kay learned that it had merely been patched in spots. Kay’s repeated attempts to try to get him to return and complete the work were unanswered. Sadly, The money was lost, the roof was, and is, still unfinished, and of course, she was now on the hook to repay the loan.

Since that time, Kay has had several contractors, as well as knowledgeable handymen, come out, look at the roof, and occasionally patch it. All have said the same thing: the roof needs to be entirely removed, at least down to the joists. Then the decking needs to be re-sloped with foam overlayment and then resurfaced with a proper roofing membrane. It’s unknown If water has damaged the decking, or, God forbid, the joists supporting it. If so, then those also will have to be replaced. The overall cost could be upwards of $15,000. You can imagine where this is going. After that first, unfortunate attempt at replacing the roof, Kay has never again had the means to get sufficient money. All that could be done was patch, patch, and more patching. That’s all she can afford! And now she has run out of time.

The roof is steadily deteriorating, and now regularly leaks into the hallway making for an unsafe and unhealthy environment. A recent roof patch over Kay’s bedroom is still holding, but I don't know for how much longer. I learned that Kay’s common wall townhome neighbor had a portion of her roof collapse into her bedroom a few years ago. It worries me that Kay's roof has standing water under the cooler and, in many places, water puddles inches deep. I'm concerned about the possibility that the roof will give way and the cooler will fall into her living area. Recently, after a heavy rain, another friend and I found it necessary to climb onto the roof to sweep away the standing water for fear that the roof would simply collapse due to the added weight. I have to be honest with you, I’m pretty experienced, and I was even fearful that WE might fall through!

For Kay, and for me, the situation has become dire. We ask for your help with these issues, but only in an amount that is comfortable and not stressful for you. For those of you that read this please consider sharing Kay's story on your Facebook page even if you can’t help with funding. I really appreciate you taking the time to read about my friend Kay’s needs.