MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — Edward Knox is leaning on his faith and the generosity of strangers to save his home in Miami-Dade’s Richmond Heights neighborhood.
They say a man’s home is his castle, but for Knox, his beloved castle has succumbed to years of decay.
“It was actually in my family a long time ago,” he told Local 10 News. “Then the roof started leaking and long story, from there it went down and insurance got out the door, and here I am.”
The 75-year-old former school teacher, who enjoys gardening, bought the home in 1980 with his wife, Clara.
But now, the spaces in the three-bedroom, one-bath home are barely recognizable.
Yet, in the midst of the peeling paint, cracked walls and gaping holes are tangible reminders of a life that once was.
What little else Knox has left is contained in a storage unit.
All of it is precious to him, enough for him to keep vigil overnight.
“If I sleep here, I sleep in the car,” he said. “I just look at the house and try to get my focus together and get rest.”
And rest from his worries may soon be possible, thanks to the kindness of volunteers.
“We have the right engineer now putting together the final permitting to get the project started, and we won’t have to demolish the home and we are very happy about that,” Wiki Voice co-founder Joe Puentes said.
Wiki Voice is a nonprofit dedicated to serving those in need.
Puentes rallied some industry professionals to donate time and materials, but is calling on others to lend a hand.
“Roofing, plumbing -- there’s still quite a few things needed for the home,” he explained.
It’s a massive undertaking. But Knox is hopeful the community will respond and his home of 46 years will be restored to its former glory.
“I told my wife one time, ‘I got faith that this is actually going to happen,’” Knox said. “And now that absolutely looks like (that is) what is going to happen. Thank goodness.”
While a core team has been assembled to help Knox, roofers, plumbers and landscapers are still needed.
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