Left in the cold by contractor, Nova Scotia woman's home rebuilt by warm-hearted strangers
'When you have absolutely nothing and then people come in and do all this, it’s just surreal'
For Angela Keizer, there's more than one Santa Claus — and they all wear steel-toed boots.
Last month the Dartmouth, N.S., woman was running out of options, out of money and fearing her family would soon be without a home.
Attempts to rebuild after a house fire came to a halt after problems with Keizer's contractor, but the unexpected generosity of strangers from as far away as Ontario has put the project back on track.
"Three weeks ago … I thought I was going to have to walk away," Keizer said Tuesday.
"It still hasn't sunk in. There's so many people to thank."
Help comes calling
Almost as soon as Keizer's story became public, her phone started to ring and people started showing up to help. Offers of support in the form of donated materials and labour flooded in, and an online campaign raised enough money to buy a new furnace, hot water tank and flooring.
A structure that last month was uninhabitable and unfinished is now warm and becoming a home.
"When you have absolutely nothing and then people come in and do all this, it's just surreal," said Keizer.
'A lot of good people out there'
Keizer and her friends and family have worked around the clock painting and preparing for the move made possible by the kindness of strangers.
Much of the work has been done by two local contractors — Terry Pettipas of THI Construction and Carmen Goodwin of Cold Creek Construction — who have collected donations, picked up materials and worked on the site.
"There's so many to list," said Keizer, who plans to have a housewarming sometime next month to formally thank everyone who helped get her family re-established.
"I was always a trusting person before, and then when this disaster happened, that died. But there's so many people that have restored that faith. There's a lot of good people out there."
A chance to give back
The offers of help came from as far away as Brampton, Ont.
Contractor Gurcharan Singh called the day after his wife saw the story online. His wife didn't realize at first that Keizer was in Nova Scotia, but that weekend Singh was in Keizer's driveway, making plans to install a kitchen and help manage the project.
"We're blessed … that we're in a position to give back," he said. "My wife approached me and she said that, 'You know what, we've got to do what we have to do to help her out.'"
When he got to Nova Scotia, it was clear Keizer needed help, said Singh. He treated the job like any other work project.
"What I really wanted to do for them was give them the confidence that we can do this," he said.
"I wanted them to feel as if they have an extended family, even though we're so many miles away from each other."
Home in time for Christmas
That extended family continues to grow as people come and go at all hours, offering a hand whenever possible. There's still work to do, but Keizer hopes to be moved in this weekend, ready to celebrate Christmas at home.
"I'm really excited," she said. "I'm looking forward to it. It's going to be a lot of work, but it's fun work."
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