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A Home Worth Protecting

After being drafted at age 20, Robert joined the Coast Guard, completed electronics training, and served at stations nationwide. While stationed in Corpus Christi, he was involved in a serious car accident that left him hospitalized for a month and a half.

His injuries eventually led to his discharge from the Coast Guard in 1975. He returned to civilian life, working as an electronics technician before earning his real estate license.

After they married, Robert and Patty settled into their Austin home. Having lived there since 1995, the couple has deep roots in the community. But staying there brought unexpected challenges when they needed costly repairs.

In 2013, the couple’s roofing project went terribly wrong. The shingles over their garage had been installed upside down, eventually causing the ceiling to cave in. The roof also developed other leaks throughout the house.

“It was a bit of a nightmare to recover from,” Patty recalls.

The couple also faced concerns about their air conditioning ductwork. A contractor told them the ducts could not be cleaned, leaving them worried they would need to pay for more extensive repairs or replacement.

Finding trustworthy help was just as important as finding a way to afford the repairs. The couple wanted to protect their home, but they also needed confidence that the people they invited inside would treat them and their property with respect.

The Help They Needed, When They Needed It

Robert and Patty learned about the Meals on Wheels Central Texas Home Repair program through friends they met at the Uprising Congregate Site. After hearing how Meals on Wheels had helped their friends with their home repairs, Robert and Patty reached out to learn whether the program could help them too.

Through the Meals on Wheels Central Texas Home Repair program, Robert, a disabled Coast Guard veteran, found the support he needed to feel safe and confident in their home again.

The couple was eventually approved for a $12,500 grant to cover their roofing and ductwork needs.

When Meals on Wheels staff assessed the home, they determined that the ductwork needed cleaning rather than the extensive repairs the couple had anticipated. Both the roofing and air conditioning contractors visited the home the next day, and they completed the repairs in just one day.

The experience gave the couple confidence that someone was looking out for them.

“Because Meals on Wheels vetted the contractors, there was such a sense of security and confidence because we didn’t have to make sure they were going to be respectful and honest,” Patty says. “And they were wonderful.”

As people grow older, finding reliable help can get harder, especially when home repairs are expensive, and the risks of hiring an unfamiliar contractor feel overwhelming.

“It was refreshing and comforting,” Patty says. “Having an ally, somebody who was on our side, that was lovely.”

Through the Home Repair program, Robert and Patty found that ally in Meals on Wheels.

A Safer Home and A More Hopeful Future

Today, Robert and Patty feel more confident in their home. The roof and ductwork repairs have held up without problems, and an additional vent in their main bedroom has improved the air conditioning.

For Patty, the impact is clear: their home is more comfortable, their concerns have eased, and they can continue living in the place that means so much to them.

“We’re more confident in the function of our house,” she says.

For Robert, the support also represents something larger. As an older adult living with a disability, he understands that people may not always see the challenges veterans face.

“Veterans and older adults can feel abandoned,” Robert says. “People are not really aware of the challenges I have in life just because I’m a disabled veteran and the fact that I’m 78 years old. So I’m happy there are programs to help me and to help others that are like us.”

Robert knows the importance of community support firsthand. Fifteen years ago, he volunteered with our HOPE program, sorting donated food items for grocery deliveries.

Now, he and Patty have experienced another side of the organization’s mission: receiving support that helps them remain safe and secure at home.

Their story reflects what community care can make possible.

“Home Repair helps keep people healthy, keeps people safe and secure,” Patty says. “It keeps people wanting to stay in Austin and not leave and go somewhere else.”

Their story reminds us that a gift to Meals on Wheels Central Texas can do more than repair a house. It can help a veteran remain independent, give a couple peace of mind, and protect the place where they made a lifetime of memories.

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