An elderly woman does not have the money to repair her house but neighbors give her a helping hand
If we want to make the world a better place, then we need to start practicing some acts of disinterested kindness - which means, to ask for nothing in return.
Sometimes, we need to give each other a hand, while at other times we need to rely on the generosity of a neighbor, friend or stranger.
If you have been lucky enough to experience the power of collaboration, you will know that working together can help overcome challenges, explore new methods, and find the best solutions to our most common predicaments.
As everyone knows, life often presents us with unexpected problems and Anne Glancey, a retired New Jersey school teacher, was able to solve a very important one with the help of her neighbors.
via Facebook / Kristin Polhemus
In this particular case, the elderly woman truly had no one to turn to except her neighbors, Kristin and Adam Polhemus, when the city authorities threatened to fine her heavily for not having made the necessary repairs to her home.
In fact, the local authorities in Hamilton Township had sent her a list of home repairs that had to be completed, including repainting the house, removing an abandoned car from her backyard, and cutting the lawn.
Anne did not have enough money to make all the repairs and was quite upset because she had been cited for three city housing code violations, with fines of up to $3,000 USD (€2,700 EUR) per day.
When she showed the letter to Adam and Kristin, the couple immediately decided to help her. "Until my wife and I moved to the neighborhood, not one neighbor had ever had a conversation with her. She had no relationships with anyone in the entire neighborhood," Adam explained.
Kristin decided to post an announcement on Facebook in which she invited people in her neighborhood and in the entire Hamilton Township area to offer a few hours of their time over the weekend to help Anne fix up her house.
"Anne does not have enough money and her physical abilities are limited ... we would like to show her all our support," Kristin explained one part of the announcement.
The request for help described the times to follow to volunteer and the tools they were supposed to bring. In short, 25 people showed up at Anne's house, armed with lots of energy and goodwill.
Thanks to the invaluable help of her neighbors, Anne managed to get her shabby-looking house back on track and avoid the heavy fines. The total cost of the job would have cost the elderly lady between $10,000 to $15,000 USD (€8,970 to €13,450 EUR)!
Her fantastic neighbors provided Anne with help that was not only practical but also spiritual! As a result of what happened, Anne is now more open and socially involved with her neighbors.
Moreover, she feels that she has also been personally enriched and inspired by the kindness and generosity of the people who live around her.
