HOUSTON – Keeping a roof over your head and taking care of your home can be challenging and expensive. Throw in a hurricane, flood, or other natural disaster and the burden to bounce back is just too great for many Houstonians.
But Houston non-profit “The Restoration Team” is helping hundreds of homeowners clean up and repair their homes, restoring pride and hope.
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It’s why KPRC 2 and our community partners at Energy Transfer, Houston Christian University and Exclusive Furniture are shining a spotlight on The Restoration Team and the amazing work they do.
87-year-old George Tisdale was trapped in his own home where he’d moved his young family 46 years ago. But now the home was falling down around him.
John Work with The Restoration Team remembers the first time he met Tisdale on a rainy day.
“He’s sitting in his den and his den is covering in plastic sheeting. And the water- the roof is in such bad condition, the water is coming in through the roof, ponding on the plastic sheeting and then rolling off down the interior wall of the house,” said Work.
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Dank, dark, and depressing. There is no place for a Navy veteran.
“Whatever the temp was on the outside, that’s what it was on the inside. And so, in the summer, he’d be sweating. In the winter, I would have to bring over heaters,” said Buffy Tisdale.
“Mr. Tisdale had worked hard all his life and just circumstances beyond his control put him in this situation,” said Work.
More than 200 volunteers with The Restoration Team spent 6 months ripping out moldy sheetrock and putting Tisdale’s home back together. Since the non-profit started after Hurricane Harvey in 2017 with members of just 4 churches, it has grown. Pulling in and putting people to work from here and across the country.
“That servant heart that just allows people to put down their own time and sweat and tears and blood and give to someone else is why we’re here,” said Trevor Barnett, The Restoration Team.
Over the last 7 years, The Restoration Team repaired homes with free labor and donations- no tax dollars. The neighbors they’ve helped are disabled, retired or simply living paycheck to paycheck.
We first met them last year when they renovated the North Houston home of 92-year-old Jessie Lara.
The Restoration Team wants to help as many people as they can.
“When you meet the people, sometimes you just feel like, ‘We’re supposed to be here,’” said Work.
“They just gave daddy a new lease on life,” said Buffy.
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“I thank the people for what they’ve done. I appreciate it,” said Tisdale.
To keep doing all of that work, The Restoration Team could use your help. If you want to volunteer- or if you want to donate money, click here.
At the end of this month, we will be joining them live doing work in our community, helping two more homeowners.