Patricia is 49 and has nine children, six of which are under ten years old and live with her. She makes a little over $1,162/month, which equates to $13,944/year. For the past four years, they lived without a working furnace or running water. That meant no showers and no working toilets. They heated the home with the oven and a space heater. Patricia has a severe hoarding disorder that led to the rooms in her home being unable to serve their purpose. The bedrooms had so many clothes on the floor that the door couldn’t shut and the beds weren’t accessible. The kitchen clutter meant the sink and countertops weren’t usable.

Patricia was ready to receive help, but didn’t know where to turn. Her children’s school therapist pointed her to us. As the only provider of free home repairs, we were the only option. Kathy, our Construction Manager, walked through Patricia’s home. She identified that Patricia needed a new furnace and water heater; a new toilet, sink, vanity, and new plumbing in the bathroom; new cabinets, countertops, a new sink, and new plumbing in the kitchen; new doors to the bedrooms, bathroom, and exterior. However, before any of those repairs could be made, the house had to be de-cluttered.

Because this was such a big job, we partnered with the children’s school and WE Energies. The school paid for the hoarding clean-out company and WE Energies split the cost of the furnace and water heater with us so we could have enough money to complete the other repairs. Once the house was cleared out and the bigger appliances were installed, we completely transformed the bathroom and kitchen. In the bathroom, the pipes coming out of the wall were replaced by a new vanity and sink. The toilet pipes were snaked so they could flush the toilet for the first time in four years. The plumbing for the shower was repaired so they could finally take a shower that we all take for granted. In the kitchen, we replaced her lower cabinets, countertop, sink, plumbing, and oven so they can cook and store food properly. Lastly, we replaced the deteriorating exterior doors to keep Patricia and her family safe from her abusive ex-husband as well as the interior bedroom and bathroom doors to give everyone privacy when they need it most. Shortly after completing the repairs, her
ex-husband returned to the house and attempted to kick the door in to get to her and her kids and was unsuccessful.

Patricia now lives in a home she is proud of and safe in, and her kids can go to school focused on their schoolwork.

For more information on hoarding, click here.
For a quick video on approaching hoarding with compassion rather than judgement, click here.

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