Dry Basement and Warm Hearts in Holly Township
(Lara Mossa, Dec. 6, 2019)
HOLLY TOWNSHIP, MI – On Sunday night, Vivian Hall noticed that her two-story house in Holly Township felt cold. By Monday morning, she realized the furnace had stopped working and called the electric company to get it fixed.
But once Consumers Energy workers came out, they told her there was nothing they could do. Due to a sump pump failure, the basement had been filled with eight inches of standing water.
“I knew I didn’t have the funds to pay for the flooded basement,” said Hall, 80, and the widow of army veteran Kenneth Hall.
So, through a unique partnership between the Holly Township government and a Commerce Township water and fire restoration company, Hall got the help she needed.
Hall reached out to the Holly Area Veterans Resource Center, which put her in contact with Amy Hillman, assistant to the supervisor and the township’s code enforcement officer. A former employee at SERVPRO of Novi/Commerce South, Hillman used a connection there to see what could be done.
“Once I heard everything that was going on, I thought I absolutely have to do what I can to get this taken care of for her,” said Vincent Clark, an estimator at SERVPRO. “If that was my grandmother, I would want someone to be able to do that for her.”
At no cost, SERVPRO employees came out to the home on Wednesday and replaced the sump pump, disinfected the basement and set up drying equipment. An estimated $2,500 job – not including the cost of the sump pump – the project should be done by Saturday when the heat will be restored. Luckily, there was not much damage, because there were minimal contents in the basement.
Hall, who has been staying with family in Detroit said she is thankful.
“I think the highest of them, and I wanted to shake hands with them,” she said. “But their hands were dirty. Dirtying my hands would not have bothered me at all. I was so happy to know that water was out of my basement.”
The township’s Hillman has been involved with the Holly Area Veterans Resource Center for about a year.
“I think it’s a great example of a small community coming together for the greater good,” Hillman said.
A township employee since 2013, she is grateful for the help SERVPRO provided.
“They went above and beyond,” she said. “Not only did they donate the mitigation, they also bought the sump pump for her.”
Workers at the SERVPRO franchise, which is owned by Bill Hannon, will return on Saturday to check the progress and remove the drying equipment.
“It’s a great feeling knowing you can help someone out right before the holidays,” Clark said.
Dry Basement and Warm Hearts in Holly Township