The 24th Repair

As a disaster recovery-based organization, Mosaic in Action has seen our fair share of challenging cases. Water damage, botched jobs, deferred maintenance, raccoon infestations (not a joke), giant holes in the roof/ceiling/floor/walls... you name it, we've probably seen it (and fixed it with the help of our volunteers).

But one of our most challenging cases was Mr. L's home and the 23 absolutely essential repairs that went along with it.

Our Construction Supervisor, Mr. Marcus George, wasted no time securing bids for the 23 individual projects. Once the bids were awarded, the dreaded waiting game of "where-do-we-find-funding" began. Knowing that this period is often difficult for homeowners, Marcus continued to visit with Mr. L, even when there was no update to give on funding.

Once funding was secured, Marcus's visits did not stop. If anything, this meant he needed to be spending even more time with Mr. L to coordinate everything. Over the time it took to complete the 23 repairs, the two men evolved from strangers to family– something that Mr. L never expected to happen.

During one of their "porch talks," Mr. L confessed that he was unsure why he even answered the door for Marcus that very first day. He explained that his faith in humanity had been crushed, leaving him with a deep-seated mistrust of strangers. Even before the pandemic, Mr. L kept his distance from anyone outside his community.

To be vulnerable with Marcus, a perfect stranger, and admit he needed help was a big first step. He continued to push himself until he was no longer confined to his comfort zone and was able to open himself to the world.

Completing those 23 repairs was absolutely rewarding, but the most meaningful repair was the healing of Mr. L through his friendship with Marcus. While this was one of our most challenging and physically demanding cases, it was also one of the most rewarding.

Though the repairs to Mr. L's house have been completed for some time, Marcus and Mr. L still make time to talk when they can. Their friendship will stick with them for years to come and is an inspiration to see in these "unprecedented" times.

Mosaic in Action was able to replace Mr. L’s roof (damaged by Hurricane Harvey) through our partnership with Week of Compassion.

Mosaic in Action was able to replace Mr. L’s floors through our partnership with Fuller Center Disaster ReBuilders.