"Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."                       Isaiah 40:31

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A job loss, diagnosis of a terminal illness or the loss of a spouse are circumstances that hit you in the gut.  Many of the people and families Good Works serves struggle with serious financial, health, relational and employment issues.   Kathy, a homeowner shared, “My bills were piling up and I couldn’t afford to make repairs.  I was afraid that I would lose my home!”  Consider how exhausting it must be to live day to day under the threat of becoming homeless.  But, hope dispels fear and if there is one thing Good Works staff and volunteers do better than repairing homes, it is restoring hope.  “I truly felt peace when the volunteers were here,” Kathy says, “I’m not afraid anymore.  My home is safe now.”

“Good Works changed my life completely,” writes Joanne, “I am now so proud of my home thanks to all the wonderful volunteers.”  In 2017 things didn’t look so promising for this 79 year old widow.  In her application for assistance, she noted, “I have tried to keep up with things the best I can, but it is very difficult.”  Her mobile home had fallen into disrepair, needing windows, insulation, plumbing and electrical repairs along with general maintenance.  “It takes all the money I have just to keep warm in the winter,” she lamented.  Joanne’s life was transformed as Good Works volunteers completed all necessary repairs and as she spent time with her Good Works Ambassador.  “I can only think of one word to describe my experience with Good Works,” she writes, “AMAZING! - They made me feel that I matter.”

Born and raised in downtown Coatesville, Regina was not like most of her friends.  As an only child, she excelled in school and eventually went on to become an adjunct professor at a local college.  But cost cutting measures at the school in 2017 left her unemployed and discouraged.  Then the roof started leaking and the city told her she needed to fix the sidewalk.  These repairs far exceeded the money in her dwindling savings account.  For a woman proud of her academic achievement, her home had become her greatest failure.  While looking for new employment, Regina volunteered at a local non-profit health center.  It was there that she learned of Good Works.   “The Good Works volunteers not only repaired my roof and sidewalk, but made improvements in every room of my house,” she shared.  Regina worked alongside the Good Works volunteers each and every workday learning new skills and enjoying the fellowship. “I loved seeing the progress we made each month,” Regina said, “You restored my home, my confidence and my faith!”   

Divorce hurts.  It is the death of a relationship.  It is lost hopes, dreams and expectations.  For Cheryl, it meant starting over again, but in a more run down mobile home on the other end of the park where she had formerly lived.   She landed a part time job and spent her time off trying to fix the place up until it was neat and comfortable.   But then, the roof started leaking and her furnace stopped working.   When a section of her ceiling collapsed, she knew the problem was beyond her ability to repair, so she called Good Works.  Good Works took care of the roof and the ceiling, replaced windows, repaired the furnace and completed other projects needed to make Cheryl’s home livable.   More importantly, Cheryl realized that she wasn’t alone.   “The world is not all bad,” she wrote, “there are good people too.  I love all the volunteers!”   Cheryl signed up for Good Works Beyond the Workday program, so even though her home repairs are complete, she will remain connected with a Good Works ambassador on a monthly basis.   Now she enjoys new relationships, new hopes, new dreams and new expectations.   God heals!   

Hope Stories are recollections from homeowners, volunteers and friends of Good Works.  Stories and quotes are factual, but names may have been changed to protect personal identities.