In early August, Woburn, MA resident, Gloria Scott, called electrician John Kinney due to an issue with one of her light fixtures. On arrival, he quickly realized the problems were much larger than that one light.
Less than two months later, this month’s #BeBetterHero, John Kinney, has raised over $100,000 for his fellow Woburnite, and brought together local contractors and tradesmen to fully renovate her home.
Scott, 72, lives alone and is on a fixed income. After his first visit, Kinney immediately called for volunteers on Facebook, before launching the Facebook fundraiser and then creating a Facebook group, Gloria's Gladiators, to bring every available resource to bear.
"I got some volunteers together and we went in there and did a ton of yard work and cleanup," Kinney wrote in the fundraiser description. "Everyone did an amazing job, and this nice old woman was very grateful. It's simply just not enough though."
The problems with Scott's house were numerous.
“My house was in such disrepair — I knew it was bad and I thought I’d be spending some time in darkness.” - Gloria Scott
"She has some serious plumbing issues that need to be corrected," Kinney wrote. "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."
Kinney had already built a network of skilled workers who were giving there time, so the fundraiser was only for materials, he noted.
Renovations since the project began include new electrical and plumbing systems, new roofing, windows, insulation and grass, and fresh paint and a new back porch, CNN reported.
Do you have a story of someone like John Kinney and Gloria’s Gladiators or anyone else in your community who is taking it upon themselves to make it one you're proud of? We’d love to hear from you so write to us and describe why they should be featured in one of our next #BeBetterHero posts!
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Content courtesy of Washington Post