An 87-year-old woman described as a 乌鸦传媒減risoner乌鸦传媒� 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 RCMP乌鸦传媒檚 targeted enforcement unit, a small motorhome was towed from the driveway of the Okanagan Avenue house starting a new chapter in the senior乌鸦传媒檚 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 woman乌鸦传媒檚 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.
乌鸦传媒淭owards the end she couldn乌鸦传媒檛 even get out of her house to go to a doctor乌鸦传媒檚 appointment,乌鸦传媒� 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 乌鸦传媒渦nsavoury乌鸦传媒� characters that began visiting the property at all hours of the day and night.
乌鸦传媒淭he address here has come to our attention just because it乌鸦传媒檚 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,乌鸦传媒� said RCMP Cpl. Scott Vanevery at the scene Monday. 乌鸦传媒淲e were alerted to it and decided to come out. We乌鸦传媒檙e here today to make sure everyone乌鸦传媒檚 moving along and keep the peace.
乌鸦传媒淭here乌鸦传媒檚 a Facebook group (Penticton Shoplifters and Thieves - Exposed) that乌鸦传媒檚 recognized this property as a problem residence and they wanted something done about and it appears they did a good job.
乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 a total effort of a community to clean up a property.乌鸦传媒�
It was on that same Facebook page that Jana Huolt saw a picture of the residence that was called the 乌鸦传媒淜FC house乌鸦传媒� because of it乌鸦传媒檚 proximity to the nearby restaurant.
乌鸦传媒淚 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,乌鸦传媒� 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).
乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 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,乌鸦传媒� said Huolt. 乌鸦传媒淚 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.乌鸦传媒�
Ron agreed: 乌鸦传媒淪he乌鸦传媒檚 had to put up with this for a long time so this is like a weight off her shoulders, she乌鸦传媒檚 free again, she can start living life again.
乌鸦传媒淪he乌鸦传媒檚 so grateful for what everyone has done and she just can乌鸦传媒檛 figure out how to say thank you to everybody in the proper fashion.乌鸦传媒�
Huolt was amazed of the 乌鸦传媒渙verwhelming乌鸦传媒� support she received after putting out the request on her Facebook page for volunteers for the weekend clean up.
乌鸦传媒淢y chat is just full of messages, people offering to help, coming forward wanting to paint the house, beautify the yard,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淭hey乌鸦传媒檝e offered to cook meals, wash windows, they乌鸦传媒檙e just so glad the situation is coming to a close. People like to be a part of something good.
乌鸦传媒淓ven people driving by as we were loading, giving us the thumbs up and hollering out their window, 乌鸦传媒榞ood job, it乌鸦传媒檚 nice to see this being done.乌鸦传媒� It is such a wonderful experience. I can乌鸦传媒檛 even find the words to say the empathy that people have for an elderly person in that situation. They乌鸦传媒檝e just stepped up and I乌鸦传媒檝e met so many wonderful people from Penticton.乌鸦传媒�
Chris Kozlowski was one of them.
乌鸦传媒淚 met the person who lives here and she乌鸦传媒檚 a nice lady, she乌鸦传媒檚 had a hard go of it but hopefully things will get better,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淚 just wanted to help out, I do that for other people. They call me and I come.乌鸦传媒�
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.
乌鸦传媒淚 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,乌鸦传媒� said Huolt. 乌鸦传媒淪omeplace where the lady can enjoy her coffee in the morning sunshine.乌鸦传媒�
Anyone wishing to help can private message Huolt through her Facebook page.
乌鸦传媒淲hat乌鸦传媒檚 happened here might be a real eye opener,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淭hat this can be successfully done if someone else is in a similar situation. There乌鸦传媒檚 nothing like community support if an elderly person needs help. I don乌鸦传媒檛 think it needs to stop at one person, it needs to be ongoing.乌鸦传媒�
