© 2024 Central Florida Public Media. All Rights Reserved.
90.7 FM Orlando • 89.5 FM Ocala
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Terry Williams Almost Lost Her Family Home After Hurricane Irma. But With the Help of Rebuilding Together of Central Florida, She'll Pass It Onto the Next Generation

Photo: Terry Williams, Danielle Prieur
Photo: Terry Williams, Danielle Prieur

Local leaders and volunteers with Rebuilding Together of Central Florida teamed up to refurbish the Williams family home today. The nonprofit helps to refurbish homes that are unsafe or unhealthy to live in for seniors and veterans.

The Williams have lived in their Richmond Heights home for nearly seven decades, but damage to the building and roof by Hurricane Irma almost forced them out. That’s where Rebuilding Together of Central Florida comes in. Last year, they installed a new roof on the Williams home. 

This week volunteers along with Mayor Buddy Dyer and Commissioner Bakari Burns are rep-painting the outside and caulking around windows ahead of the next storm.

Homeowner Terry Williams says she’s especially grateful for these repairs this year after both she and her husband survived COVID while caring for her 95-year-old mother.

"So all of that is being done today and it's my husband's birthday. So it's a great birthday present for him, even though he's not here right now. But he turned 64 today. So, it's a good thing."

[audio wav="https://www.wmfe.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/13004-clip-1-2.wav"][/audio]

Williams says she and her husband are retired and could have never afforded these repairs on their own. 

"So we're going to keep it in the family. Somebody's going to inherit it, keep it in the family for the rest of, you know as long as we're here."

[audio wav="https://www.wmfe.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/13005_HOUSING_DANIELLE.wav"][/audio]

The nonprofit is raising funds for repairs that need to be done to the interior of the home.

Applications for assistance will become available again in the fall. 

Danielle Prieur covers education in Central Florida.