Meet Ms. Combs

Ms. Combs moved into her home at the age of five. Her father diligently worked on the house that was home to he, his wife, and their six children. Ms. Combs remember his pride when he installed new windows on their house. After her father passed, then her mother, the house became hers. She raised her two kids, a boy and a girl, in that home and looked forward to maintaining it in case any of her siblings or kids needed a place to lay their head. 

While Ms. Combs was still in the workforce, this wasn’t too tall of an order, but after she had to retire, she found her monthly social security amount of just a little over $1,400 not enough to make ends meet and have room to do repairs. Her brothers, at times, could help do small repairs here and there but no one had the means for some growing issues.

In 2023 small drips coming into her home began to grow into far more concerning roof leaks that likely had something to do with her gutters falling off the house. Desperate to find help, Ms. Combs called 2-1-1 to find help and was referred to Home Repairs for Good, formerly NeighborLink Indianapolis, in 2023 because her gutters were falling off her home and she had water coming into her home every time it rained. 

Upon our initial assessment of the gutter needing replacement, we discovered her roof had some significant damage along the decking where the gutters once were that was likely caused by a large and leaning tree in her backyard. Additionally, there were holes where siding was missing and a makeshift door at the back of her home where she had storage. The home needed some sincere repairs and through our Home Repairs Program we were able to take care of the roof repair, but more was definitely needed. The BY Plus team went out and drew up a scope of work for Ms. Combs that would seal up her home and even keep her beloved porch dry and able to be enjoyed even in a summer rain storm. We were also able to remove the trouble-tree to prevent a much larger roof disaster in the future.

“They are such a blessing to me! I called with the gutters and they came out and took care of the gutters and my roof” an enthusiastic Ms. Combs shares. “I tell everyone about them. Now my next door neighbor is having help with her house too.”

Ms. Combs watches her grand kids during the summer and after school during the fall. They are typically found riding their scooters all over her porch while she sits at her little table on the porch. 

“You have no idea how happy this makes me,” Ms. Combs shares. “And how it helps my heart knowing my parents can look down and smile on our house now.”

Ms. Combs is a perfect example of a homeowner who called in for two repairs that led to a series of larger repairs to ensure her safety and the longevity of her home. Having the funding to allow us to swiftly respond to roof leaks, trees on roofs and other pressing home repair issues is critical to being able to help homeowners like Ms. Combs. If you've ever wondered if your $10 a month or $50 donation can do much? It can. It's amazing what a collection of "small" can become—whether it's "small" repair issues or "small" dollars - collectively they're huge. Donate today and help homeowners like Ms. Combs.