HOUSTON – Two brothers from West Virginia and their plumbing crew have been in Houston for almost a week, helping dozens of families in need of repairs after the recent winter storm.
They’ve already used the almost $30,000 they raised to help people for free. With those funds running out, they are now using their own money and they don’t think they will be able to do that much longer.
“Right now, we’re pretty large in the hole and I mean pretty large,” said David Dellinger of American Professional Plumbing Services. “The donations don’t match a fraction of what we’ve put into it.”
It’s been a labor of love for the brothers and their team.
“It was hard to leave our families but it was necessary,” Dellinger said. “We have seen the outcries. We’ve seen the people that were suffering and there’s just not enough of us tradesmen.”
Beth Stanaland lives on the southside of Houston. She is 81 and is currently undergoing therapy for a rare blood cancer. Her home lost power when the ice storm hit and her pipes burst. She’s been without water for two weeks.
American Professional Plumbing Services is fixing her home at no cost to her.
“The stress has been enormous, really bad for my health,” Stanaland said. “If I have running water and hot water and not have water pouring down, that will be a huge relief. This is a huge relief. I can’t tell you how grateful I am for David.”
The original plan was to help about 1,000 families over the next several weeks, but with money running out, it’s becoming more difficult.
“There’s a lot of people who can’t pay for it and we’re trying,” Dellinger said. “So we do need a lot of funds in order to help and keep helping but if we don’t get it then we’re going to have to pack up soon.”
To donate to Dellinger’s cause, click here.