"I just love her to death and she knows that," said Margaret Young as she talked about 81-year old Ruby Hollins.
Talk about a love for neighbors. There's no doubt Ruby Hollins is well-loved. For about two years Margaret Young and Marvalyn McLemore have watched over her. When Margaret mentioned Ruby's A/C unit hadn't worked in years, Marvalyn knew she had to find help.
"I got frustrated, I cried about it, I tried calling everywhere from the Carolinas to the state of Georgia and I said, 'Well I'm gonna try News Channel 7'," said McLemore.
Ruby said she doesn't have heat because five years ago vandals destroyed her unit. With little money, she had no other choice but to stay in the cold.
"I would hate for her to freeze to death," McLemore said.
7 On Your Side found the help of our media partner the Heartstep Foundation. They are a non-profit that works with the community by using their website to post needs like home repairs, food and clothing with the hope that volunteers will reach out to help. Within 24 hours of our note to them, Executive Director Krista Cogdill sent Ruby's need to more than 1600 people on Facebook and posted her story on www.heartstep.org.
"Right now we need an HVAC unit and the labor to put that in and obviously it's a very critical need," Cogdill said. "It's costly and if we don't have someone respond we plan as a foundation to try to go ahead and meet that need ourselves."
Heartstep doesn't just stop once the job requested is done.
"We then try to sit down with them and see what are their other needs," said Heartstep Foundation Community Projects Director Tina Price. "We are here, we have this one shot, what are the things that are critical that you need."
Now the voice of just one, gives Ruby a chance to get help from thousands.
"It's not about what Heartstep is doing, it is about what the community is doing," Price said.
"I am just so happy that there is people out here that can help and there is people out here that will listen to you," McLemore said.
"I think its great," said Young. "I hope she gets everything that she needs."
"Thanks so much appreciate it," said Hollins. "God bless you all very much."
Heartstep reviews all requests for help before posting them on their website and Facebook. To get your need heard or to volunteer click here or call Heartstep at 864-527-1464.
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