A Newark homeowner contacted us seeking help with some home repairs. She and her husband had run a prosperous business, but he died, and she had to assume all of the duties of the business herself. Her situation was complicated further when she was diagnosed with a debilitating disease. Whatever financial resources she had left were wiped out by medical expenses. And you can probably guess what happened next: unable to work, she had to shutter the business.
Here is a woman who worked hard to hang on after the devastating loss of her husband. She worked hard, but in the providence of God, her situation was harder. It was our joy to be able to repair her furnace and chimney, and it was her joy, too—she wept at the completion of the work, overwhelmed with gratitude. May God grant her mercy in her circumstances, and lasting hope in Christ Jesus. Last week, we shared some photos to social media from a project in Wilmington. The homeowners are a couple who have lived at their address for over thirty years, and are recently facing health challenges. The husband had a heart attack some years ago, and still faces ongoing issues with pain in his arms and hands. His wife was diagnosed with cancer shortly after we began work on their home.
After New Castle County building inspectors sent violation notices for several issues, the couple reached out to Good Neighbors to help address them. They met our criteria, and we set about working on the home. So far, we've worked on rebuilding their back porch, fixing damaged plaster, and putting up new siding. Please join us in praying for this couple. Pray for healing for her cancer, and pain management for the lingering effects of his heart attack. Pray that the Lord would provide for their financial and physical needs. Above all, pray that our work—done in Jesus name—would point their eyes to Jesus, the only true and lasting provision for the healthy and the hurting, the prosperous and the poor. Love, Inc is a mercy ministry in New Castle County. This past summer, a local homeowner reached out to Love, Inc because her roof was in terrible shape, and the leaks were making their way into her kitchen, utility room, and bathrooms. Mold was starting to form, and with herself and two daughters to care for, she had no way to pay for the repairs on her own. But without any attention, the roof would likely have caved in and put this family in a far more dire situation. Love, Inc evaluated her case and referred her to us. After an interview, we determined that the homeowner qualified for repairs and we set about doing them.
Over the course of several months, Good Neighbors staff and volunteers—including a group from our Youth Camp—set about converting this family's house from a source of anxiety into a warmer, drier, safer, healthier home. In addition to the roofing work, we painted, replaced gutters, replaced a window, and replaced the damaged drywall on the interior ceilings. We received a letter from the homeowner, thanking us for the kind disposition of our volunteers, and praising God for his provision. This warms our hearts, and we hope it warms yours, too. We repair homes as an expression of our love for Jesus, that we might restore lasting hope to the people we serve. Thanks be to God that this dear woman knows the source of her help and hope. This past July, students from our area converged on Avondale Presbyterian Church for our annual Youth Camp. With their help, we were able to work on five homes, including the camp’s first projects in Delaware. A group made up of students from Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Newark and Hockessin United Methodist Church spent the week at this New Castle home. The owner lives on her own and works, but her wages were insufficient to cover the cost of some necessary repairs. Thanks to the work of the students, we were able to replace her roof in just a few days, and then move on to some other projects. The EP team had experience with windows, so they were able to do a few of those. We also put in some new drywall in a portion of the indoor ceiling, installed a new handle on a storm door, and even found time to put another new roof on—this time on the shed in the back yard. What a blessing it was to be able to help this homeowner. Please pray that the Lord would provide for her needs, and that the students who worked on her home would give glory to God for what he used them to do.
A few weeks ago, we shared about volunteers from RUF at UD working on a roof for a single father in Wilmington. Well, this past Saturday, some volunteers from Emmanuel Orthodox Presbyterian Church were on site to help bring that roof closer to completion. The homeowner is a single father of two sons, but one of those sons was tragically killed in an accident. Dad himself is a disabled truck driver unable to afford the cost of a new roof (which, as many of you know, does not come cheap). Will you join us in praying that the Lord would draw near to this man, whose life has been filled with adversity? Pray that he would meet him with the comfort of Christ, and that the rest afforded by this new roof would point him toward lasting rest in the Lord. We are filled with gratitude for these dear saints from Emmanuel helping us share the love of Christ with this family. Their hearts and hands have helped finish a project that this homeowner desperately needed done, to the glory of God.
A few weeks ago, we were on-site with a mother of four in Kennett. Her house needed a lot of work, so we were back again recently to replace a window. This is the latest of fourteen that we’ve replaced here! The frame still needs to be painted, but it’s already doing a better job than the old one. The homeowner is a widow, and one of her four children—an adult daughter with lots of medical problems—still lives at home. Surely, these are emotional and financial strains. We’re so glad that this dear woman contacted us and is allowing us to help. Her house is a lot warmer and safer now, and that’s one less thing to worry about—praise God!
The roof is one of the most crucial parts of a home. Without a good one, water (and other things!) can get into the rest of the structure and lead to all sorts of other problems. This past Saturday, Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) at UD came out and helped remove and replace a roof for a single dad and his kids. The father is trying hard to keep things going after seeing his income reduced by disability, and it turns out that their roof had been installed improperly. There was no way that he could afford to have it replaced on his own. Nine volunteers from RUF—including campus minister Rev. Nick Owens—came out, had a great time, and managed to get half the roof stripped, dried, and ready for shingles, so the next volunteer group would be able to set about applying them. Praise God that we were able to help this dear family make their house a safer place to live, and please join us in praying that the Lord would continue to meet their needs.
On Tuesday, a group of twelve volunteers from Chatham Financial’s Analytics team took time out of their day to come and bless a local widow with some roof work and vine/shrub trimming. The homeowner has lived here for a long time, having moved here in the sixties not long after she and her husband were wed. Sadly, her husband passed away three years ago after over sixty years of marriage. Thankfully, the Lord has blessed her with a lower-case good neighbor—a fellow who lives nearby and looks in on our homeowner to make sure she’s alright. He’s actually the one that heard about Good Neighbors and pointed her in our direction. A good bit of the roof was still sound, but there was a portion on one side of the house that had started to leak, so after a prayer from Good Neighbors Executive Director Harold Naylor, the Chatham crew quickly got to work stripping old shingles. Several had already worked with Good Neighbors before, so they had the benefit of prior experience—that helps a lot!
The homeowner was very grateful for the help, and had iced tea and several containers of cookies ready to serve the people who came to serve her. What a blessing it was to be able to minister to this dear woman. Happy Friday! We have a few jobs in flight at the moment, including this great house in Kennett. The homeowner has four children, one of whom is still living there. When she contacted Good Neighbors, there were a number of things that needed attention, both indoors and out, and we've since been working to get them taken care of. As you can see above, we completely replaced the roof—the family shouldn’t have to worry about that for a long, long time now. The cellar doors in the back were in very bad shape, so they've been replaced with a beautiful new set that should keep unwanted moisture (and critters!) out of the basement: There are also some windows (and a window air conditioner) that will need some attention before we’re done: That’s some of what we’ve been up to on the exterior of the home, but we’ve also been busy inside, installing a brand new heater, pvc plumbing, and restoring the flooring, tub, and vanity in the bathroom: We’re grateful to the Lord for allowing us to serve this sweet lady and her family, and we’re grateful to all of you who help support Good Neighbors—your support, in all forms, helps us restore hope to our neighbors in Kennett and beyond!
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