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PO Box 307
Bryant AR 72089
501.303.4010
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Help me help someone else
This charity project is over. See page 3 for the results.I first met Brenda Bryan when she requested a photo of my K9 to do a painting. Since my initial contact with her I have stayed in touch with her just to make sure she is doing ok. She hasn't been doing all that great. She has a low, fixed income from SSI and limited resources. This summer there was a time that she had no A/C and some time after that she found herself in the hospital for 8 days. She found out that she has Lupus. Her medicine is expensive and to top it all off while she was in the hospital her (incorrectly installed) plumbing flooded her house. Her kitchen floor has buckled and died. It looks like a scene from the Bearing sea. If she cannot get the floor repaired then she will loose the house and be forced to live in an apartment (and consequently most of her possessions and her dogs).
Unfortunately quite a few people have taken advantage of Ms. Bryan recently. The worst of it was petty theft of money,items and medications but she has also been the victim of really (and I mean really) bad repairs on her home. HUD gave her a grant of $25k and it was given to a contractor who actually did about $5000 to $10000 worth of work. They also did quite a lot of damage by doing the work incorrectly. This has created dangerous living conditions such as the A/C unit that is installed next to the water heater with no vent, and windows that don't shut.
God has pressed upon me the task of bringing her house back to a livable condition. I have had contractors come to the house and look at it. After they regained their breath they decided that most of the work would be labor. The floor joists in the kitchen are good and other items should be repaired without extreme cost.
Brenda loves the police department and the FOP has responded with a donation of $500 to this project. This is the first big step to getting this accomplished but there is a bit of road ahead. We need more money and most importantly we need able bodies to help with the labor.
I have attached a photo of an oil painting that Brenda did herself. She wants to sell it to help raise funds to fix the house. I would like to get $200 for the painting. That is really a bargain considering that whoever buys it can feel great about themselves every time they see it (priceless).
On September 18th (one week from this Saturday). The men's group from my church (Midtowne on Boone Rd.) will begin work on perhaps one of the largest projects we have ever done. We’re calling this our MAFIA Extreme HIT. MAFIA stands for Men After Faith Integrity Action. Listed below are the areas we need to address.
• Kitchen floor torn out and replaced
• Tear out and replace cabinets
• Heating and Air systems… (duct work and air return unit)
• Small Plumbing (toilet, hot water heater, kitchen sink)
• Yard work (there’s a lot)
• And other small items
We are forming teams to work on all of these at the same time. This is a big project because the house is unsafe for the homeowner to live in. The homeowner can hurt herself by just going through her kitchen. There is a gas water heater sitting next to the air return unit. The unit is not sealed. Pretty much, every time the unit runs it is drawing in the fumes from the water heater and spreading it throughout the house. These are just a few examples.
To learn more about how you can help, send an email to mafia@midtownechurch.com with your name, phone number, and what work you’re willing to do.
I am asking for money and time. Please consider giving a donation of either to help with the project and spread the word to others. This is great opportunity for us to help out someone that needs it.
We will be meeting at Midtowne at 7:30 a.m. on the 18th
In Christ,
Chris Eaton
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Shelli Russell on
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Folks reading this, in case you don't know Chris, and you're wondering, that's his real name, he's a trustworthy individual, he goes to my church, Midtowne in Benton, The MAFIA is a real group of men from Midtowne, and I don't know this lady, but I personally trust what Chris says, and heard a little bit about this project at church on Sunday. I didn't want this lady to miss out on getting help just because of the multitude of things on the internet that aren't quite legit.
Oh, and please RSVP on the Event listing here... http://www.mysaline.com/xn/detail/873760:Event:207929?xg_source=act...
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Permalink Reply by Cara on
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Thanks Shelli and Chris. This is, I feel, one of the real reasons for MySaline. To build community. Let's not let this post get buried under a ton of political shouting.
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Permalink Reply by sharon tremor on -
This is the kind of thing that makes us a community. I am looking forward to helping make a difference. Thank you Chris for the opprtunity as most people in need do not have a voice and your representing her that way is lovely.
Shelli Russell said:Folks reading this, in case you don't know Chris, and you're wondering, that's his real name, he's a trustworthy individual, he goes to my church, Midtowne in Benton, The MAFIA is a real group of men from Midtowne, and I don't know this lady, but I personally trust what Chris says, and heard a little bit about this project at church on Sunday. I didn't want this lady to miss out on getting help just because of the multitude of things on the internet that aren't quite legit.
Oh, and please RSVP on the Event listing here... http://www.mysaline.com/xn/detail/873760:Event:207929?xg_source=act...
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Permalink Reply by Janie on -
What I would like to see is the Contractor's name and the contractor's company. I can identify with this whole story. The contractor is local and he runs a add in the newspaper about being "unemployed" but he fact he has not been for awhile. I had a room built onto my house to help with my niece's children who were in custody at DSS in No Carolina. The first person to work on my house was a neighbor who "just wanted to help". Well, he helped me out of money by subcontracting some of the work and making money, then I paid his son to do work he did not do, then what little work this man did was a sham. I called in this "unemployed carpenter" and for $900 he repaired all the damages this "good neighbor" did. He did a good job and cleaned everything up. Then I called him back to finish the room and what he did was disgraceful. He went by to pick up parts for the room, and alot of what he purchased was not for my job. They build and left a half finished closet and a horrible mess outside which I had to clean up. I paid $500 for that mess. All the whole time this guy was singing religious songs, prayed before eating and then at the same time - 'cheating me'. I still need this room mudded, painted, the closet finished and a floor put down. I am a single woman, have two of the children already that I am supporting and am expecting two more. I feel this woman's pain - but I don't let the remorse rule me because this guy will get his someday - if not in life then after ................. know what I mean! He prays to God then he cheats people who are in need. I want to help this woman as I am physically strong and have a full time job. I can help with her animals too. Get back with me and let me know what is needed.
Munky said:Would she be able to benefit from a lawyer who would do some pro bono work, and sue the contractor, and recover some money to fix up her house?
Possibilities:
1. If one contractor did the whole remodleing job and it exceeded $20,000.00, then the contractor should have had a contractor's license from the state of Arkansas.
2. The unvented gas water heater sounds like a plumbing code violation.
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Permalink Reply by Cliff Lusk on
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Dude, I've got a big-ass mower and a bunch of lawncare stuff. My schedule is weird and I can't make it on the 18th. Is it possible I can help with this before that date?
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On the water heater topic, is there a cheap way to test for carbon monoxide levels in this lady's home? Low level poisoning and Lupus have similar symptoms. It is also theororized that carbon monoxide poisoning over a period of time will trigger the auto-immune response leading to Lupus. I agree with Munky that this situation needs legal attention.
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Permalink Reply by Shelli Russell on
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Hey guys, if you had a prob with the email address in the main post, I corrected the typo.
It's MAFIA@midtownechurch.com and folks who want to help should show up at the church at 4037 Boone Road, the Benton side of Boone, off Alcoa Road at 730am, Sat. Sept. 18th
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Permalink Reply by Chris Eaton on -
Ok a couple of things.
1. You can make the donations to me, I'll come get them wherever your at if needed. I plan on keeping all the receipts and document the time spent, just as a tally for everyone at the end so we know what we did. Just email me at eatoncl@gmail.com or call me at 501-860-3724
2. Dave, we need your type of help the most of all, I'll call you. If you can show up on the 18th it would be awesome.
3. Cliff, if you want to, yes you could go mow before the 18th, but the big effort will be on the 18th. There is going to be some relocating of fences and probably clearing of brush etc.
4. I do plan on installing carbon monoxide detectors in the home, and repairing all of the smoke detectors that have been removed.
5. The sticky legal situation. This has been discussed a bit and I was pretty angry at the beginning but I'm kinda over it now. The conclusion we reached was that it is going to be more trouble than it is probably worth. What happened is morally insulting and makes you want to do something to fix it but you have to consider the full big picture. I have to do what I think is best for Brenda, and I fear that dragging her into a legal battle will only serve to cause her more trouble than benefit. The people involved with this are going to be potentially public embarrassed to get it resolved legally and they have the power to make her life very difficult. I don't need a team of pissed off HUD inspectors condemning the house out of spite or frustration (even though that would just end up back firing on them in a way they have never quite experienced). Barring some sort of lawyer telling me otherwise this is where I'm at.
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Permalink Reply by Chris Eaton on
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Online donations are now being taken on my website at http://www.eatonwebdesigns.com for your convenience.
Yvonne I can stop after 3:30 today if that's ok.
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Permalink Reply by Al Thompson on -
My organization the Knights of Columbus could be of some assistance we do many different service projects in the communities that we live in and are very active with habitat for humanity and the Special Olympics.
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Permalink Reply by Chris Eaton on
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$600 donated to date, thanks for all that have pitched in and plan to be there on the 18th. :)
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