Nonprofit group works with contractors to kick-start Progress Village repairs

PROGRESS VILLAGE — It has been three months since a tornado swept through Progress Village, tearing off roofs and knocking down trees.

For Jenny Garcia, it has been three months without a roof on the back part of her house. She and her husband have been living with water-damaged, moldy ceilings.

For Patricia Storey, it has been three months without electricity in half of her house and broken plumbing.

For Betty Witherspoon, it has been three months without the carport and shed that the tornado blew away.

Repairing the homes in Progress Village has been a slow process, but the pace is starting to pick up as Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay nears completion of its projects.

The nonprofit group was already working with local residents when the tornado struck March 31, said executive director Jose Garcia. The disaster sped up the county paperwork for many of its projects because the community's need had increased.

Rebuilding Together works with building contractors to supervise their projects. The contractors can select donated products from the organization's warehouse to lower the cost of the repair job. Rebuilding Together then subsidizes the cost through private donations and county funding.

Cathi Chamberlain, who owns a contracting business, visited Progress Village the day after the tornado. She and her team of subcontractors were working Tuesday to restore plumbing and power to parts of Storey's house.

"There was so much damage. It's not like the customer can call us up and have it fixed the next day," she said. "For a lot of these, the paperwork is complicated."

That's why three months later, many homes still await repairs.

Rebuilding Together has 48 house projects, with six to seven going on at any point. Another five or six need county approval, the organization said.

Olivia Darby, 79, had been living alone without air conditioning for the past year. The tornado ripped out the back aluminum overhang of her house on Endive Drive. On Tuesday, Darby read her Bible surrounded by fans as workers installed her new air-conditioning system.

Workers had already painted the house and installed a new safety shower. TECO donated energy-efficient lightbulbs in May during a complimentary energy audit day. Rebuilding Together plans to install wired smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms.

"It's a blessing for people to do for you these days," Darby said. "Things are pretty difficult. Nobody has to give their time to anything."

Still, the repair process is slow for many.

Jenny Garcia picked out her new roof Tuesday and hopes construction starts soon. She worries that with the thunderstorms, water could have been leaking through the blue tarps and into her house.

"So far they are doing nothing," she said. "I'm still waiting. It's hard, very hard. I've been waiting for a long time."

Witherspoon's also been waiting, but there is no end in sight.

She took her paperwork to the county twice, but still hasn't heard when she will get her carport and shed replaced.

"They didn't say no specific time," Witherspoon said. "I guess they're getting their money and then not spending it on us."

Biz Carson can be reached at (813) 661-2441 or ecarson@sptimes.com.