LAKELAND, Fla. – The kindness of strangers is helping a Polk County family get their home repaired.
The strong winds of Hurricane Debby ripped part of the roof off Mary and Jose Olmeda’s mobile home.
“It was stressful,” said Mary Olmeda. “Very, very stressful.”
The family had no steady income or insurance and didn’t know how to pay for the repairs. Recently, rain entered the house and black mold formed on the ceiling.
“I’m losing this. I’m homeless,” Mary Olmeda said when it first happened.
But after Spectrum Bay News 9 shared her story, viewers stepped in to help.
Now the Olmedas have enough money to repair their house.
“It’s unbelievable,” said Mary Olmeda. “It brings tears to my eyes. You always hear about the bad people, but never about the good ones, and they do exist.”
In addition to financial help, a donor left words of encouragement.
“Mary, your faith is a testimony to others who have no hope. God bless you,” the message said.
Olmeda said she relied on her faith to help her deal with the problems plaguing her homeland.
The Olmedas have hired a contractor to begin work on a new roof.
“Basically, all we need to do is take off the old tiles that are currently on there that have already been torn down, and then we’ll install a new metal roof on top,” said Stephen Brock of Graham Aluminum and Home Improvement.
Brock said the plan is to seal the house so the family will be prepared in case another storm hits. He said the Olmeda should have a new roof by next week.
“And hopefully it won’t happen again,” Brock said.
The Olmedas don’t have insurance because of the age of the property. They said they considered buying a new mobile home, but it was too expensive.
