BRIDGING THE GAP AND MAKING A WAY

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Mr. Drake, a veteran and amputee, came to us in crisis. After suffering a severe sewage loss that flooded his basement with over a foot of sewage, he sought help but was met with closed doors—until he called us.

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Beyond the mess in his basement, Mr. Drake’s home told a deeper story. After losing his wife to cancer two years prior, he had been living surrounded by her belongings, with only narrow pathways through the house. He needed more than cleanup—he needed restoration, both of his home and his hope.

 

We got to work. We provided a trustworthy plumber who resolved his issue for $250—far less than the $3,500 another company had quoted without fixing the problem. We even helped Mr. Drake recover the $1,000 he had already paid that company.

 

We cleared his home, reboxed and organized his belongings, and donated items to honor his late wife’s memory. We completed the full mitigation claim, thoroughly cleaned his home and carpets, and brought in an electrician to restore the kitchen lighting and repair the electrical system for his stair lift, giving him safe and independent access to his basement again.

 

Throughout the process, Mr. Drake faced another challenge: his home health aide services were suspended because the environment had been deemed unsafe. Once the home was restored, he regained not just his space but his essential care services.

 

At the end of it all, Mr. Drake said, “You changed my life. I believe the Lord sent you.”

 

Today, we’re proud to still be part of his life—celebrating birthdays, dropping by with a rake or shovel when needed, and reminding him he’s not alone.

 

Thanks to the generous donations to Waymakers Foundation, we were able to help Mr. Drake reclaim his home, his dignity, and his independence. Its stories like his that remind us why we do what we do.