Repaired roof raises spirits of local woman

WEST CHESTER » With her husband gone for three years, a Chester County woman had no one to make repairs to her Avondale home. A neighbor helped with minor repairs, but he couldn’t fix larger issues with the leaky roof.

Living on a fixed income with few resources, the woman turned to Good Neighbors for help. This Chester County nonprofit immediately recognized these repairs needed to be completed before winter.

A group of volunteers from Chatham Financial were able to start

quickly. They removed shingles from a compromised portion of the roof and cleared overgrown weeds and other vegetation from the front yard. The homeowner was incredibly grateful for the help and greeted the volunteers and Good Neighbors staff with cold drinks and fresh cookies.

Similar to this woman, a shocking number of people are living on the edge of financial instability. In fact, nearly half of Americans wouldn’t have $400 for a leaky roof, medical bill or other emergency expense.

For these people, stress can displace hope and heighten the risk of anxiety, depression and other illnesses. Even worse, nearly 600 Chester County individuals don’t have a permanent home on any given day.

Your donation will bring hope to these struggling neighbors. Give at GivetoSharetheWarmth.org or mail your check payable to United Way of Chester County to 495 Thomas Jones Way, Suite 302, Exton, PA 19341. Please indicate “Share the Warmth” in the memo line of your check, and be sure to indicate if you wish for your donation to remain anonymous.