The first “Helping Houston Rebuild” home was completed and revealed on Saturday.
Representatives from NACC, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, builders, contractors, and the press gathered at the home of Lolita Cerf to welcome her home after a week of repairs left her staying in a hotel room. For the first time, she walked up the disability ramp to her new porch and gazed at her new hardy siding, roof, and level floors. Though the damage from Winter Storm Uri was to her pipes, donors reached out to grant her further repairs for being the first participant in “Helping Houston Rebuild.”
“This is the first of many houses that we will be restoring that have been devastated by the freeze. Do you know what FEMA told me about this disaster? When there’s a flood you can just drive by and see the line on a house and say that house is in bad shape, but with a freeze, you can’t find the many people who are hurting, whose house is in shambles, whose roof is in shambles,” said Lee.
“Our next client is 95 years old,” said Lee, “and so we are attempting to bring light to the people who have suffered in darkness during the most devastating disaster freeze that we have ever experienced here in Texas.”
Dorian Evans, national community liaison for NACC and public adjuster, presented Cerf with a gift basket and said “it’s been an honor to take your house and bring it back to a livable space for you.”
Roger David, contractor, said, “she was very nice to me she was very nice to all of the employees here. We’ve done something very good for you I’m very happy that you’re going to come back here and enjoy what we’ve done.”
“I want to say that I feel so blessed. This freeze was a blessing for me. Because this house, I don’t know how long it would have been standing. But I just want to thank everybody. Everybody’s been so kind. God bless everybody.” said Cerf.
After accomplishing the first rebuilding project, NACC is moving on to restore more houses after having them inspected.
“We’re not finished. This was the first. We’re going to be doing others and we hope that we hear from others who are in need so we can try to help them as well,” said Lee.
To donate, volunteer, or apply, visit www.helpinghoustonrebuild.org.
