$29k worth of repairs made to St. Pete home thanks to Bay area non-profit

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Gail Allen has lived in St. Petersburg her whole life, and her home of 23 years recently got some upgrades.

"It’s night and day," Allen said. "My home became in need of renovations that I simply could not take care of myself. After Hurricane Ian, it became apparent that I would need some help, and that's where Rebuild Tampa Bay came in. I'm so grateful."

Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay and Duke Energy Foundation teamed up and made $29,000 worth of repairs to Allen’s home free of charge to her. Those repairs included new windows, flooring, central air conditioning, lighting, cabinets and a new roof.

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"We want to make sure the homeowners such as Ms. Allen are ready to stay at their home during the hurricane season," Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay Board President Jerry Mason said.

Allen applied on the non-profit’s website, was chosen and the team did a full assessment to see what the needs were before starting the six-week renovation process. 

Allen got to show off the renovations to St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch and City Council Member John Muhammad on Monday.

"As we work to make our city more sustainable, we also are working to ensure that all residents have access to the resources and opportunities necessary to improve the quality of life and the sustainability and resiliency of their biggest investment, their home," Welch said.

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"To see somebody who was in a situation and then have that situation to be remediated, it's overwhelming to see her smile," Muhammad said.

Muhammad and Welch said they’re looking to partner with the non-profit. 

Allen’s home is one of six in St. Pete that Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay has recently renovated. It’s a blessing, Allen said, that she’s grateful beyond words for.

"I’m thankful to be able to stay in my home. It makes a really, really big difference and I’m so thankful," she said.

Duke Energy Foundation also donated $75,000 to Rebuilding Together affiliates across the state Monday, including the Tampa Bay area.