Imagine That!

CBS News

"She reminded me of my nana, who passed away ten years ago. It made me sad to think of her sitting alone in a house that needed so many repairs. Her wiring was in bad shape and there were extension cords everywhere. I really worried about her safety."
"We were hoping to inspire others and that's exactly what is happening. It's really lifting people up, so I want to keep the good work going. Right now, this is bigger than me."

"We've opened up Gloria's world. Now, I hope we can do the same for all of the other Glorias out there."

"Nobody should have to go through life alone."

"She's been here by herself for over 10 years, so I'm sure it's a big change for her, but she's warmed up to everybody. She's so happy, she's got all types of new friends. She's out here making lunch for us, laughing, joking. It's just a miracle to witness."

"It's about getting the whole community to be gladiators and fighting for people who can't fight for themselves."

John Kinney, electrician, Kinney Electric

"I asked everybody who's pitching in to give me a T-shirt with their business logo on it, and I'm going to sew them all together."

"This has been a heartwarming experience for the whole town."

Cathy Bryant, 63, Woburn, Massachusetts

"If John Kinney hadn't come into my life, I'd pretty much still be living in darkness."

"My house was in such disrepair -- I knew it was bad and I thought I'd be spending some time in darkness."

"You can't imagine what it's like unless you've gone through it. He's just so giving -- they all are."

Gloria Scott, 72, homeowner, Woburn Massachusetts

Gloria Scott and members of the "Gloria's Gladiators" team rebuilding her home.

 

In the 1960s, Gloria Scott was newly divorced, so she moved into her parents' home, a two-bedroom, one-bath house. She was employed as an office assistant, and eventually retired. Her parents both passed away a decade ago, and she lives now alone and is alone. The house that she now owned as her own went into a gradual state of disrepair. One day in August she turned on a light switch in the kitchen and watched as sparks flew from an overhead fixture. And then her circuit breaker tripped.

The problem was repaired by electrician John Kinney and she had light again. Mr. Kinney couldn't get it out of his head that the 72-year-old woman lived alone with her dog in such a dilapidated house. So a few days later he went back to the house. And he explained to Ms.Scott that "I have a lot of friends -- how about if I put together a group to come over and help you fix things up around here? There will be no cost to you whatsoever". An offer no one could refuse, particularly an elderly woman who realized that her home was falling apart around her.

John Kinney posted a message on his Facebook page about the woman and her situation, and before he knew it, two dozen volunteers had signed on to his request for help. While the spontaneous-helper crew were at the house beginning their work, they realized the plumbing was faulty and the faucets didn't run hot water. The kitchen sink was broken, the ceilings were full of holes, the back porch had collapsed and the house needed new eavestroughs, drywall and paint.

 

People.com

 

Next in line was a new Facebook page titled "A Nice Old Lady Needs Help", to raise repair funding and it succeeded to the extent that in less than a month close to $115,000 was raised, leading to a change in the page title to "Gloria's Gladiators". Now, from one end of the country to the other "Gladiators" have come forward to post about their own chain-reaction volunteer efforts locally, on John Kinney's group page.

Back in Woburn Mass, at Gloria's house, a rotating crew of landscapers, plumbers, carpenters and brick layers are busy remodelling. The schedule is that everything would be completed by November's end. Community businesses are contributing building supplies, and even people with no construction experience have involved themselves, to help feed the crews. One volunteer is sewing a quilt for Ms.Scott for the oncoming winter season, to warm her bed.

"Gloria's in seventh heaven and seems at a loss for words about what we're doing", 58-year-old carpenter Rick Caillouette, acting as project manager commented. "She's gone from living alone to having a bunch of new friends." A month after the crew began their work, the initial electrical fix was turned into a full house renovation. Workers installed a brand-new electrical system, plumbing system, new roof, new windows, new insulation, fresh paint job, new back porch, even new grass in the backyard. 

 

Image Credit: Gloria's Gladiators/Facebook/