After a storm dumped a silver maple tree through his roof in Wyandotte County, Kansas, Gilbert Kirk told KCTV 5 that he was not looking for a miracle or an insurance handout. Two days later, last Friday, a stranger arrived at his debris-laden front lawn and said he would be back in 30 minutes with a tarp, some lumber and a crew to cover the maple-shaped gash in Kirk's house.
Kirk was skeptical. He remembered thinking, "OK, whatever, you know." Then the man came back with a load of lumber, and soon the driveway filled with trucks.
Kirk, 71, and his dog Beetle had been trapped under the collapsed roof for hours when the storm hit. For weeks afterward the house remained exposed, until the volunteer crew arrived and covered the hole left by the tree.
Now, for the first time in weeks, Kirk and Beetle have a roof over their heads. A number of stand-up fans are drying out the interior, and Kirk says it is drying out well.
"Oh, it's unbelievable, the way the community has come together," Kirk said.
KCTV called the helpers strangers, but the crew was identified in a Facebook post as local residents Kirk Mata, Steven Vega, Dominic Foreman and Brigette Henson. Another community member, Phil Lopez, commented that he first helped Mr. Kirk pull the silver maple out of his house.
Steven Vega wrote that Kirk has called him every day to say thank you. "We just did what was right and needed to be done," he said.
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