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John Kinney: An electrician who helped rebuild the dilapidated home of 72-year-old Gloria Scott for free.
Like many low-income people, Gloria struggles to even pay for groceries. But when a light switch set-off sparks and tripped her circuit breaker, she had to call an electrician.
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Since the 1960's, Gloria now retired, has lived in a two-bedroom, one bath home she inherited from her parents in Woburn, near Boston.
John fixed her problem, but was troubled by what he saw:
She had no hot water from her faucets, the plumbing was bad, the kitchen sink was broken, the back porch had collapsed, the walls and ceilings were shot, and the home desperately needed paint and new rain gutters. Her yard was a mess.
"It made me sad to think of her sitting alone in a house that needed so many repairs," he told The Washington Post.
"Her wiring was in bad shape and there were extension cords everywhere. I really worried about her safety."
As a result, John made her an offer: "I have a lot of friends - how about if I put together a group to come over and help you fix things up around here [for free]."
Gloria gladly agreed, and after John posted her situation on his Facebook page, about two dozen volunteers quickly joined the cause.
John started what is now "Gloria's Gladiators" on Facebook and raised about $115,000 to rebuild and landscape her home, which they did.
But Gloria's Gladiators has taken on a life of its own with 16,400 members, many of whom want to tackle similar restorations in their areas.
As for Gloria, "If John Kinney hadn't come into my life, I'd pretty much still be living in darkness," she told The Post.
"You can't imagine what it's like unless you've gone through it. He's just so giving - they all are."
Editor's Note:To learn more, click here and Gloria's Gladiators on Facebook.
In the next KazanToday: In 1938, a Nazi who risked his life to save a Jewish couple.
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