Raindrops patter on the windows. Water flushes out of the gutters. Howling winds and rustling trees fill the silence. Another Nebraska storm is ready for attack. Pete and Glenn sit next to one another in the home they’ve lived in for almost twenty years. Pete’s hand reaches for Glenn’s. His thoughts are filled with worry. He’d watched his neighbor‘s tree fall into the roof of their home causing extreme damage just months ago and knows the tree leaning towards Pete and Glenn’s own home hasn’t looked right for years.  

Pete and Glenn have experienced most of their lives together. After meeting thirty-six years ago, and settling down in Omaha soon after, they’ve been inseparable. But four years ago, everything changed. Glenn, a United States Navy veteran, suffered a severe stroke leaving him with extreme verbal and mobile challenges. The stroke created the need for 24/7 care. Without the ability to hire an around the clock caretaker, Pete selflessly stepped into the role.  

After taking on the role of Glenn’s caretaker, Pete’s priorities changed. He knew the chimney was causing the ceiling to leak, and the tree near the house was close to taking out the roof, but Pete’s focus needed to stay on Glenn.  

Pete contacted Habitat for Humanity of Omaha’s Home Repair Program seeking help. He quickly found this was the solution to his repair needs. Alongside Habitat Omaha’s partnership with The Home Depot Foundation, Pete and Glenn were able to receive a chimney replacement, gutter covers, removal of the leaning tree and a handrail for the front steps. 

These repairs put the worry in Pete’s mind at ease. 

“I thought, if the tree falls, how are we going to do it? [Glenn] needs electrical power 24/7…It just gives me peace of mind,” Pete said. 

With the addition of a handrail on the front of the home, Glenn now has a safe way to exit the front steps in the case of emergency. “If something like an emergency happened, I don’t have to worry how he would get down,” Pete explained. “It makes my care keeping job easier. So, we can live in a safe environment.” 

Now when Pete sees stormy weather on the horizon, he doesn’t need to worry or prepare for the worst-case scenario. He can watch the clouds roll in, listen to the rain fall and hold Glenn’s hand, knowing they will be safe in their home, together. 

Are you in need of an essential home repair? Habitat Omaha helps with home repairs in Douglas, Sarpy, Washington, Cass and Burt counties. Qualified homeowners receive a zero percent interest loan to help pay for the necessary repairs. You do not need to own a Habitat home to qualify. Contact the Habitat Omaha office at 402-457-5657 option 3
or apply at https://habitatomaha.org/home-repair/!