The grant enabled Builders Care to replace the roof, repair all the drywall, repair and replace damaged flooring and redo the kitchen and bathroom at the Wiggins home.
A Wells Fargo grant and partners allowed Builders Care to complete repairs to the Butler home, including a new roof, bathroom and kitchen.
Wells Fargo's Neighborhood LIFT Local Initiative Grant Program supports sustainable home ownership and advances neighborhood stability.
Builders Care was the beneficiary of the local grant during the 2017-18 fiscal year, receiving $50,000 to assist vulnerable homeowners.
With an emphasis on assisting low-income veterans and the elderly, Builders Care was able to serve homeowners it had previously been unable to help because of limited funding.
Roof repair for wounded vet
The first project using the grant funds was for Mery Martinez, a veteran who was injured during combat in Operation Desert Storm. Not only is Martinez disabled, she also was a victim of contractor fraud.
She had hired a company to help renovate her kitchen, which it partially completed before taking her money and leaving her with an unfinished project.
She also contracted with a roofer to repair a leak over her kitchen pantry.
The roofer claimed the roof was repaired and Martinez paid the bill. She then discovered the roof was still leaking. She tried to contact the roofer, but did not hear from him.
In the meantime, her pantry became saturated and black mold began to grow.
Builders Care was able to repair the roof and MicroTech Solutions addressed the mold remediation at no charge, saying it was happy to have been able to help this veteran.
Builders Care was able to finish her kitchen renovation, mostly thanks to work by volunteers from Stellar Energy.
Healthy air quality for family
Builders Care met the Wiggins family when it built a ramp for James Wiggins with the help of University of Florida construction students.
During that project, workers found the kitchen in need of repair and mold on the bathroom wall. Roof leaks had destroyed most of the ceiling in a bedroom.
The funding was not available at the time to replace the roof, but Builders Care was able to stop the leaking, which the Wiggins family said was an “incredible blessing.”
Wiggins’ daughter and her baby also lived in the home, where the air quality was unsafe and the floors were potentially dangerous for a child learning to crawl.
With the LIFTS grant, Builder’s Care replaced the roof, repaired the drywall and damaged flooring and renovated the kitchen and bathroom.
A level home for disabled vet
John Waittet is a veteran confined to a wheelchair about 90 percent of the time, even though the Veterans Association considers him only 40 percent paralyzed.
His door was completely out of square, and when closed left a two-inch gap at the top. However, the door could not be repaired because the problem was caused by that side of the home sinking into the ground.
With the Wells Fargo grant, Builders Care was able to fix the failing piers and beams, making his home level for the first time in years.
Elderly woman, multiple projects, no resources
The last recipient of repairs made possible by the Wells Fargo grant was Etheline Butler.
Her story was featured on the Parade of Homes special on WJXT.
She was referred to Builders Care by ElderSource, which provided photos of the plywood shower, faulty electrical system, failing roof and nonfunctioning HVAC system.
With the grant funds alone, Builders Care could have made only partial repairs of the homes. Air Angels Foundation donated a new HVAC system, allowing Builders Care to invest in a new roof, bathroom and kitchen.
Wells Fargo and all of Builders Care’s partners made it possible to make a significant difference in the lives of these deserving homeowner
