An 87-year-old woman described as a 91Ƶprisoner91Ƶ in her own home has a bunch of strangers to thank for her newfound freedom.
Monday morning under the watchful eyes of two members of the RCMP91Ƶs targeted enforcement unit, a small motorhome was towed from the driveway of the Okanagan Avenue house starting a new chapter in the senior91Ƶs life.
Ron, who asked his last name not be used and who has close ties to the woman, smiled and breathed a sigh of relief as he photographed the vehicle leaving, something he has wanted to see for a long time.
For the past several years Ron said the elderly woman91Ƶs son had been living in the motorhome, most recently with a female companion and a dog, all the while accumulating a massive amount of items of every description which completely filled the small yard and outbuilding.
After many complaints to the city, bylaw services became involved and eventually issued a clean up order which is when the work on the weekend was arranged.
And while numerous truckloads were removed over the two days, much more remains.
91ƵTowards the end she couldn91Ƶt even get out of her house to go to a doctor91Ƶs appointment,91Ƶ said Ron, shaking his head at the memories of the turmoil the lady went through while trying to get her son, who was also at the house Monday, to move.
Compounding the problem were the many 91Ƶunsavoury91Ƶ characters that began visiting the property at all hours of the day and night.
91ƵThe address here has come to our attention just because it91Ƶs a gathering place for a lot of people in the city, some of our clients that we deal with on a regular basis are frequenting this address on a regular basis,91Ƶ said RCMP Cpl. Scott Vanevery at the scene Monday. 91ƵWe were alerted to it and decided to come out. We91Ƶre here today to make sure everyone91Ƶs moving along and keep the peace.
91ƵThere91Ƶs a Facebook group (Penticton Shoplifters and Thieves - Exposed) that91Ƶs recognized this property as a problem residence and they wanted something done about and it appears they did a good job.
91ƵIt91Ƶs a total effort of a community to clean up a property.91Ƶ
It was on that same Facebook page that Jana Huolt saw a picture of the residence that was called the 91ƵKFC house91Ƶ because of it91Ƶs proximity to the nearby restaurant.
91ƵI realized it was the house belonging to the grandmother of a child my husband and I adopted many years ago. We raised her granddaughter as our own child,91Ƶ said Huolt, who used to live in Penticton and now calls Oliver home.
She then contacted Jake Evans, one of the facilitators of the Facebook group, and the pair came up with a plan of action to begin cleaning up the property which meant moving the motorhome and its occupants to a new location (thought to be on Edmonton Avenue).
91ƵIt91Ƶs over. The trailer is gone. I spent time with her (home owner) yesterday (Sunday) and I spent time with her on the phone this morning when the tow truck was there and she sounded very upbeat, I could hear the relief in her voice that she can now go outside and enjoy her yard safely,91Ƶ said Huolt. 91ƵI sincerely hope that group of people (the vagrants) knows there is no gathering place there now, there is no junk piles at the home any more. There should be no one on that property. It needs to be a safe haven for the home owner.91Ƶ
Ron agreed: 91ƵShe91Ƶs had to put up with this for a long time so this is like a weight off her shoulders, she91Ƶs free again, she can start living life again.
91ƵShe91Ƶs so grateful for what everyone has done and she just can91Ƶt figure out how to say thank you to everybody in the proper fashion.91Ƶ
Huolt was amazed of the 91Ƶoverwhelming91Ƶ support she received after putting out the request on her Facebook page for volunteers for the weekend clean up.
91ƵMy chat is just full of messages, people offering to help, coming forward wanting to paint the house, beautify the yard,91Ƶ she said. 91ƵThey91Ƶve offered to cook meals, wash windows, they91Ƶre just so glad the situation is coming to a close. People like to be a part of something good.
91ƵEven people driving by as we were loading, giving us the thumbs up and hollering out their window, 91Ƶgood job, it91Ƶs nice to see this being done.91Ƶ It is such a wonderful experience. I can91Ƶt even find the words to say the empathy that people have for an elderly person in that situation. They91Ƶve just stepped up and I91Ƶve met so many wonderful people from Penticton.91Ƶ
Chris Kozlowski was one of them.
91ƵI met the person who lives here and she91Ƶs a nice lady, she91Ƶs had a hard go of it but hopefully things will get better,91Ƶ he said. 91ƵI just wanted to help out, I do that for other people. They call me and I come.91Ƶ
Meanwhile Huolt plans to continue working through this weekend and still needs a few more volunteers with trucks and others to load and unload the vehicles at the house and at the landfill.
Just how much more work will be done on the property has yet to be determined but there is one thing she wants to happen.
91ƵI would like to see that lady feel safer in her own home, not a prisoner, and I would like to see the home restored to the beautiful flower gardens that it was,91Ƶ said Huolt. 91ƵSomeplace where the lady can enjoy her coffee in the morning sunshine.91Ƶ
Anyone wishing to help can private message Huolt through her Facebook page.
91ƵWhat91Ƶs happened here might be a real eye opener,91Ƶ she said. 91ƵThat this can be successfully done if someone else is in a similar situation. There91Ƶs nothing like community support if an elderly person needs help. I don91Ƶt think it needs to stop at one person, it needs to be ongoing.91Ƶ