In New Jersey, it is a legal requirement for citizens to keep their homes and yards tidy to help keep the state’s roads in a sanitary condition. However, achieving such maintenance can be a challenge, as tasks such as painting and mowing the lawn require time and money, which not everyone has.
Ann Glancy, a retired educator, struggled to maintain her home and garden. Her pension was insufficient to cover even her basic expenses, let alone house maintenance. As a result, her house looked abandoned, with peeling paint and a garden overgrown with weeds.
Despite her struggles, Ann had no one to turn to for support; she had no children and lived alone. When neighbors Christina and Adam offered to help with landscaping, she initially declined. However, after receiving a costly fine she couldn’t pay, her neighbors decided to help her anyway.
Friends and family of neighbors rallied around to support the effort. They worked weekends and any free time they had during the summer to fix up Ann’s house. They replaced old boards, repaired windows, and renovated the porch and surrounding landscape. Their dedication was so thorough that after three months, the house was unrecognizable.
Although initially hesitant, Ann eventually accepted the help and even became friends with the volunteers. Thanks to the generosity of her neighbors, Ann avoided spending more than $10,000 on necessary repairs, transforming her home and improving her quality of life.
