Alex Carson
Trash Ordinances
Most cities and towns have rules when it comes to trash in your yard. If the trash piles up and your property becomes an eyesore, your neighbors have every right to complain. The mess that is your yard can actually lower the property value of your neighbors. This is why if someone calls to complain about a messy yard, the local authorities will often check out the situation. This is what happened to a 90-year-old woman named Agnes Maples.
Agnes’ Yard
Agnes had a huge mess piling up in her backyard, but she wasn’t the one who had made the mess. A relative of hers was going to her home often and dumping garbage, old broken furniture, and other items in her backyard for a long time. Agnes told him again and again not to do this, but he didn’t stop. Because the man was family, Agnes never called the police. It wasn’t until someone made a phone call about the mess in Agnes’ yard that things got serious.
Threats and Fines
When Agnes’ neighbors called to complain about her yard being an eyesore, they sprang into action. She received a letter saying that if she didn’t clean up the mess, she would be charged a fine of $2,500 a day. Agnes lived on a fixed income, and there was no way that could afford to pay the fines. Since she was 90-years-old, she had no way of getting rid of the trash herself. She wasn’t in perfect health, and she tired easily. She could never handle the job on her own. After getting the letter, she called the relative that left the trash there numerous times telling him that he had to clean out the yard. She told him about the letter that he received, and he still did nothing. She didn’t know what to do.
Searching For Help
Agnes didn’t know where to turn. When she made a few calls to find a company that specializes in major clean outs like hers, she heard what they charged, and she realized that she couldn’t afford to pay someone either. Agnes was desperate. Finally, she heard about an organization called Operation Blessing. They are a faith-based charity who handles jobs just like the one that Agnes had. She contacted the charity, and they were happy to come to her home and help her out. Finally, Agnes felt hopeful. This 94-year-old lady gets $2, 500 fine for trash-filled yard—then she makes a desperate phone call.
More Issues
When the charity arrived at Agnes’ home, they realized that there was more than just junk in the yard. She had a decaying old shed in the backyard that was very unsafe. She also had an old trailer back there that also needed to be removed. They also discovered that her roof was in desperate need of repair. They decided to do what they could to make sure that Agnes’ house was safe and clean. They knew that it would be a difficult job, but it wasn’t going to be easy.
Starting the Cleanup
The group began early in the morning. They started by cleaning the trash and other items from the yard. They wore masks and gloves during the cleanup to ensure their safety. While one group was working on the piles of garbage, another group was working on tearing down the shed and the trailer. Everything would be thrown on a truck for disposal. It was a huge project, so the charity sent all of the volunteers to her home.
Calling For Reinforcements
The group didn’t have any experience with roof repairs, so they contact volunteers at another charity called Regent University. They knew that putting a tarp on the roof would just be a temporary fix, so they brought the necessary roofing materials and fixed the leak themselves.
Brightening Up the Yard
After the group from Operation Blessing finished cleaning up the trash and tearing down the old structures, they decided to brighten up her yard. They put in flowerbeds to make her yard look great. They even added some ceramic statutes. They wanted to improve her home’s curb appeal and did a great job.
One Last Gift
Before leaving Agnes’ home, the volunteers from Operation Blessing asked Agnes if there was anything else that she needed to make her home more comfortable. She told them that she didn’t have an air conditioner and her home got really hot during the summer. Later that day, a few volunteers showed up at her house with an air conditioner. Agnes couldn’t believe her eyes.
Feeling Thankful
When Agnes was asked what she thought about the charities and what they did, she said, “God bless them, and they’re wonderful. I love them. I’ve been blessed and blessed, and God has never left me. He’s still with me. They started working, and they sure did a good job. They’re all my little angels. I will never forget them. I love them.”
