LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — From the outside, a home in one of Lexington's most desirable zip codes shows an aging roof, but inside is a "shell of house" that's deteriorated from several years of leaking water.
The homeowner, who only wished to be identified as Cindy, has been trying to make the best of a bad situation.
"I've got this to make a funnel to run down," she said, gesturing to a makeshift water drain.
For the last four years, her home has been riddled with issues stemming from a botched roofing job, leaving Cindy with water leaking into every room.
"I don't sleep when it rains because there are so many leaks," she said. "I have this system where it runs out, but that doesn't cover everything else."
Cindy's struggles began after hiring a contractor who, she claims, caused more damage than he repaired.
"He stole my roofing materials and threatened me if I reported him," Cindy said.
Since then, she has lived in beyond rustic conditions with no running water and feeling too ashamed and frightened to seek help. She didn't want to share her street address in fear local code enforcement would make her leave.
"I try to keep it clean," she said. "Here's my water jugs — my heating system for my jugs so I can do dishes."
But this story of despair has garnered attention. A friend reached out to Ryan Holland, the founder of the nonprofit Restore Hope. The organization focuses on assisting vulnerable individuals like Cindy, often those too hesitant to ask for assistance.
"We find people—veterans, widows—who are in really vulnerable positions that normally don't come out of their houses and tell people about their issues. They've kind of lost hope," Holland said.
Holland said God Send Roofing has volunteered to replace Cindy's roof. While labor and most supplies are covered, the initiative still requires approximately $5,000 to secure the remaining materials.
"That's what we find a lot in the community — you see these people and you don't know what's going on inside," Holland added. "That's why I started the nonprofit, so people would talk to their neighbors and ask how they can help."
For Cindy, the prospect of a new roof means the world.
"It'll stop the damage that's occurring every time it rains," she said.
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