DALLAS — When one is in need, the other is there.
“Baby, you don’t find friends that do that anymore,” said 89-year-old Willie Mae Coleman as she visited her friend, 90-year-old Bobbie Dean, at her South Dallas home.
They have been friends for more than 70 years.
“It really surprised me to see her come up because at one time, she wasn’t one to speak up about anything. Now, you can’t shut her up,” said Dean.
“I’m Ms. Trouble,” said Coleman.
But Dean calls her good trouble because after the storms hit North Texas in April, Coleman reached out to WFAA about Dean's need for immediate home repair. Trees fell damaging the roof and causing water to leak into her home. She has been unable to afford insurance since her current insurance plan no longer covers damages.
“I find myself sometimes not breathing due to some of the mold and stuff inside,” said Dean.
“Seniors are having to choose between medicine, food and home repairs. I know that as a society, as a nation, as a community, we’re better than that,” said Mark Jones, a local investor.
He and investor, Maurice Wilson II, saw WFAA’s story in April about Dean’s home.
“People would say somebody should do something about that or somebody should do something. I’m more and more aware of the fact that we are those somebodies,” said Wilson II.
The two along with a team of developers and volunteers went to work.
“We had folks from different parts of the community come out and cut the trees down,” said Wilson II.
They repaired the entire roof for free and are working on the water damage inside the home.
“We understand that Superman is not coming,” said Jones. “It’s not her fault that a tree fell, but I think what it did was it created a responsibility for us. It wasn’t her fault, but it’s our responsibility because we saw it.”
Not only have community volunteers been repairing Ms. Dean’s home, but she also got her phone and internet service.
“I’m so happy. This makes me feel like they heard my cry,” said Coleman.
“While we celebrate today, there are so many other Ms. Deans to address and be willing to deal with this because this is not going away. We want our seniors to age in place,” said Jones.
Dean can now continue to age in her family home.
“It means everything to me. Without it, I don’t know where I would have been,” said Dean. “It has been such a blessing to have somebody to care until it’s almost impossible to just…I find myself praying and crying.”
Jones and Wilson are looking for volunteers and donations to continue making repairs on Dean's home. Anyone interested in helping can email wagjones@gmail.com or call (214) 924-2089.
