When fire struck India Jones’ Merrill Street home in Hammond Oct. 24, she thought she had lost everything.
Jones had no insurance and no way to rebuild the bungalow that had been in the family for more than six decades. She reached out to community organizer Leroy Howard, who ultimately led her to tell of her plight during an October Mayor’s Night Out event.
“My grandpa worked really hard to get this house and have it right. I thought I was going to be the one to lose it,” said Jones, a substitute teacher at Hammond’s Lincoln Elementary School.
But some community members stepped up to help Jones and her two beloved beagles, Leonidas and RiRi. Dave Hein, a city of Hammond building inspector and a union electrician, began organizing volunteers and supplies for repairs.
“You need to be the change you want to see in the world,” Hein said.
He worked with the Northern Indiana Public Service Co., to determine what repairs needed to be done so heat could be turned back on.
Jones and her aunt Patricia Scott, with whom she’s been living, recently were at the house while Hein and others demolished what remained of the kitchen. With such extensive damage, Hein originally thought it would take until late December to make the home habitable again, but with help from A Go Fund Me page, he expects it can be done by around Thanksgiving.
Jones has been overwhelmed by the way the community has come to her aid. Township Trustee Frank Mrvan provided emergency funding for lodging at the Super 8 in the immediate aftermath of the fire. Nick Farrell of Hammond helped repair the kitchen and roof.
“If I couldn’t help myself or my family was ever in this predicament, I’d hope someone would help me,” Farrell said.
Abel Bautista and Omar Buenavides with Caoba Properties of Hammond were other volunteers. Bautista, whose father, George, owns the company, says the business does a lot of work in Hammond so it is important to give back to the community and ensure the stability of the neighborhood.
“It’s a good feeling,” Bautista said.
Buenavides said he feels blessed to have a house to live in.
“Why not help out someone who needs one. We can’t always just go be greedy,” he said.
Carrie Napoleon is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.