Expanded Client Stories
Blakeslee Street, 14608
Twenty-five years ago, Cynthia was living with her family in the 19th ward and commuting to Webster for her work at Xerox. She was pregnant with her youngest child and tired of trekking across the city through snowstorms and navigating the old Can of Worms on 590. Cynthia and her young family decided to move to NE Rochester. She raised three children in her home and now her young grandson spends weekends with her.
In 2019, a roof leak in the back of the attached garage of her 1950s home led to extensive damage that eventually extended into the dining room and living room at the front of the house. The leak got so bad, it allowed the raccoon who had moved into the garage (it got in through the big hole created by the leak in the garage roof) to enter her home. The insurance company refused to assist her (so Cynthia got a new insurance company).
Retired and living on social security, Cynthia did not know where to turn. “I worked hard all my life and never imagined I would be here,” she said.
In the first photo below, the big piece of particle board with the black lines on it resting against the wall is what was nailed across the doorway to the dining room to keep any wildlife from getting into the rest of the house. She just stopped going into the garage. The second photo shows the hole in the dining room ceiling where the raccoon got in. The third photo shows water damage in the living room. 2”x ”s were installed to keep the ceiling from collapsing.
The leaky roof was creating a health and safety concern for Cynthia and her grandson, who both suffer from asthma. Then Cynthia heard about a neighbor who received a grant through the City of Rochester. She called the city but was told the roof grant funds had been exhausted but she’d be put on the waiting list. Cynthia said, “a tear can’t build a brick wall” so she “gave it to God” and kept calling to check on her status and was eventually referred to the team at PathStone.
Although the process was long, and the paperwork at times overwhelming, in December 2021 Cynthia received grants that replaced the roof, abated mold issues, and increased home energy-efficiency, health and safety. She said that everyone involved at the City of Rochester, PathStone, the contractor, and RENEW, were very helpful and she enjoyed working with them.
