By Kristin Andris
Residents in Grant Park and adjacent neighborhoods worked together to help an elderly neighbor restore her porch after a contractor abandoned her with an unfinished project. Neighbors initiated grassroots fundraising efforts and coordinated volunteer contractors to complete the restoration.
Sylvia Waller, a 44-year resident of the neighborhood, had hired a contractor to do repairs to her porch. The contractor asked for multiple payments and demolished the original porch before getting proper building permits or learning about historic regulations. After Ms. Waller paid out several thousand dollars, the contractor abandoned the project, leaving her with a porch open to the crawlspace and a roof supported by 2x4s.
After learning of Waller’s situation, neighbors worked together to develop an online fundraising campaign. St. Paul United Methodist Church in Grant Park pledged a dollar for every dollar donated by neighbors, up to $750. Area contractors also volunteered their time to help with the restoration.
Among the neighbors who led the efforts are Paul Simo and Kim Holland, members of the Grant Park Neighborhood Association; Michael Dryden, an architect with Inside Out Architecture; and Park Atlanta Homes and Round Here Renovations–companies that both do a lot of home renovations in Grant Park. ProBuild Building Materials of Morrow, Georgia, also agreed to provide their services for the restoration. Millwork Supply provided labor to build the porch. The porch was rebuilt over three days, and neighbors gathered to celebrate on the day of completion.
Comments are closed.