EARLVILLE – A local non-profit lead over 50 volunteers to the Village of Earlville last weekend to rebuild a roof for a disabled couple in need.

At 9 a.m. on Saturday, volunteers from a non-profit called the Impact Project arrived at 4 Abbott Ave in Earlville where Robert and Kristin Thomas reside.

According to Impact Project Founder Jim Willard III, in a matter of 5 hours, volunteers had installed a whole new roof on their home, new gutters and did all new landscaping around the property.

Willard said without the efforts of the 50 plus volunteers, the Thomas residence was facing an impending disaster as it may not have lasted another winter.

"Robert and Kristin Thomas, residents of Earlville, New York, knew their roof had seen better days and it wouldn’t be long before the situation wouldn’t be sustainable," said Willard. "Both being disabled they didn’t have the skills, physical ability nor the financial resources to fix the problem."

He said the Thomas’s found themselves coming to a crossroads so they decided to apply to The Impact Project for assistance.

He added that in its evaluation, The Impact Project found four major areas of the roof that needed to be addressed very soon and probably wouldn’t have made it through another winter without serious damage.

Kristin Thomas discussed the failing roof and the need for this project saying, "We noticed a section of our ceiling that was starting to show signs of water damage, after looking into the costs to repair the roof we knew we wouldn't be able to afford it."

Thomas said her family wasn't sure what they would do, until a friend had suggested reaching out to The Impact Project for assistance.

"I filled out their application, and after awhile we heard back from Jim," she said. "From our initial conversation on, he kept us in the loop about what was going to happen, and tried to make the process as non-stressful as possible."

She said on the day of the roof repairs, the volunteers worked quickly and appeared to be well organized as they worked on the roof, planted a new tree in their front yard, and assisted with other landscaping tasks.

"They changed our lives for the better, and we couldn't be more grateful for what The Impact Project has done for us," said Thomas.

Robert Thomas said for the individuals who need help but haven't reached out, put an application into The Impact Project because it could just change your life.

Willard said special thanks goes out to Norwich Assembly of God Church, Hamilton Family Bible Church in Hamilton, Whitney Point Baptist Church of Whitney Point, Saint Thomas Episcopal Church of Hamilton, Curtis Lumber, Bert Adams Disposal, Rentals To Go, Binghamton Agway and Village of Earlville Code Enforcement.

The Impact Project is an independent Christian non-profit 501c3 organization that does major home repairs for low income, handicapped and elderly homeowners. Since its inception in 2004, The Impact Project has completed 104 major repair projects with the assistance of 3,513 volunteers in 5 different counties (Otsego, Chenango, Broome, Tioga & Steuben). It has two offices – one located in Greene, NY and the other in Sherburne, NY.

For more information on The Impact Project you can visit www.theimpactprojectgreene.org or call them at (607) 234-4090 or 656-9499.

Pictured: The Impact Project volunteers with Earlville homeowners Robert and Kristin Thomas after a new roof was installed on their home for free. (Submitted photo)