What began as the first story in Local 10’s Good News South Florida series has grown into a community-wide effort to restore the home of a longtime Miami-Dade couple.Over the past three months, volunteers, contractors, businesses and Local 10 viewers have come together to rebuild the Richmond Heights home of Edward and Clara Knox, helping turn what was once an unsafe structure into a home that’s steadily taking shape.When Local 10 first introduced viewers to 75-year-old Edward Knox in April, the home he and his wife had lived in for more than four decades had fallen into severe disrepair. The roof was collapsing, rooms had become uninhabitable and the property had been overtaken by overgrown vegetation.After the story aired, volunteers stepped forward to help make the Knox family’s dream of returning home a reality.“Angels out of nowhere coming to me,” Edward Knox said. “Can’t help but feel good after that.”The project has since expanded into a collaborative effort involving local businesses, nonprofit organizations, contractors and generous community members.The first major milestone was removing the home from the county’s unsafe structures list and securing the necessary building permits.
Crews then demolished the damaged roof and hauled away several dumpsters filled with debris.The latest phase of construction included the delivery and installation of new roof trusses — a significant step toward making the home weather-tight.The trusses were purchased using donations from Local 10 viewers.“Every day this family, I call it, is coming together and helping the Knox family get back in their home,” said Joe Puentes, co-founder of Wikivoice.Roofing crews quickly began installing the trusses before moving on to the next stages of construction.“The next part will be putting the wood and the fascia board, which is part of the structure,” said Hector Rodriguez, of Level Up Roofing.Another donation helped move the project forward when Skyline Roofing Solutions donated most of the plywood needed for the roof.“The plywood that we donated today was about $2,300,” said Jorge Gutierrez, manager of Skyline Roofing Solutions.The remaining plywood was supplied by The Home Depot of Deerwood in southwest Miami-Dade.Once the roof is dried in, contractors say work can begin on the home’s windows, interior framing, plumbing and electrical systems.“When it’s dried-in, we can sta…
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