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Four years after house fire family finally moving back home

3 years 1 month 5 days ago Thursday, March 18 2021 Mar 18, 2021 March 18, 2021 10:40 AM March 18, 2021 in News
Source: WBRZ

BATON ROUGE - A fire and two bad contractors left a family homeless for a long time. This week, they're finally moving out of the literal shed they've been living in and back into their home.

Tabitha Frank and Charles Wilson are excited that the day has finally come.

"I had almost given up on humanity, but y'all have shown me that humanity is here and in force to help people," Frank said.

It all started with a disaster four years ago, when their home suffered a fire. They hired contractors to do work on their home but contractors ran off with their insurance money twice.

"I ran out of money. I had no money, no help, no nothing," Wilson said.

Wilson, who has worked at Tony's Seafood for years making boudin, moved his family of five into a shed in the backyard. They have lived in that shed for a year and eight months without electricity or running water.

"We had nowhere else to go," he said.

A few weeks ago, Rebuilding Together Baton Rouge got a call about the project and decided to help put their home back in order.

"For us to be able to put them back in their house, to be living in their house, this is what we do and have been doing," project director Jimmy Walters said.

RTBR is a volunteer and donation-based organization that helps the disabled, veterans, and seniors stay in their homes. Frank and Wilson will be coming home to a new roof, new flooring, walls, cabinets, appliances, and furniture.

"I feel happy, it's a blessing," Wilson said.

The family is grateful to be moving back into their house.

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