A volunteer crew worked on roof and paint repairs at Clay Gonzalez and Lori’s Edmond home after the city issued code violations tied to the property’s condition, according to News 9. The repairs were provided at no cost to disabled Army veteran Clay and his wife.
Lori was diagnosed with cancer in 2019 and has since had multiple surgeries, leaving her unable to work, according to News 9. Clay told the station that more than a decade of difficult economic conditions depleted the couple’s savings and that most of his income now goes toward bills and necessities such as food.
Home Depot Tip Sparks a Volunteer Rally
The Emergency Responder Assistance Program organized the volunteer response after Home Depot contacted the organization about the Gonzalez family’s situation. Founder and CEO Doug White said he organized volunteers after receiving the call. News 9 reported that crews from Home Depot and Tinker Federal Credit Union joined other community partners at the home.
White said the team had already started on the roof and expected to finish that same day. He also said the work would clear up the code violations the city had flagged on the property, addressing the issue that had been hanging over the Gonzalez household.
How Edmond Handles Property-Code Violations
According to the City of Edmond, Code Enforcement notifies the responsible party to take corrective action after identifying a violation. The city lists painting and roofing among examples of property maintenance code issues. The information cited here does not specify correction deadlines or appeal options.
Code enforcement and veteran home-repair assistance
A separate 2024 report on Edmond nuisance-property proceedings quoted code enforcement supervisor Ivan Smith saying the city historically had a 98% voluntary compliance rate, with a duration of 10 days or less, according to The Journal Record.
A Job Worth Thousands, Done for Nothing
The repairs were estimated to be worth more than $16,000 and were completed at no cost to Clay and Lori, according to News 9. Clay told the station that the help made him realize how discouraged he had become and that he felt relief after the work.
In a separate report, News 9 said the Emergency Responder Assistance Program helped Air Force veteran Pamela Rodriguez with home repairs.
The volunteer project provided the Gonzalez family with repairs at no cost, though formal clearance of the code violations has not been confirmed. White can be reached by email at [email protected] for those looking to connect with the Emergency Responder Assistance Program.
