A plumber has helped over 10,000 families for free. During the pandemic, he has already spent $77,000 to help a lot of affected families keep their homes warm through the cold weather.
A family called James Anderson in 2017 to get a second opinion about their heater at home. The elderly and disabled man from that home sought the help of a heating company before that and had to pay $6,000 for fixing his heater.
Started a nonprofit organization to help the needy
Anderson was disgusted and disheartened about the company that tried to con someone of their money, so he decided to start a nonprofit organization to help those in need. He founded Disabled and Elderly Plumbing and Heating Emergency Response (Depher) to help the needy.
Since then, it has already helped more than 10,000 families. For whatever plumbing and heating cost, Anderson promises to help the elderly and disabled.
However, because of the pandemic, he knew he had to do more. He decided to help pay bills for other people. Apart from that, he also buys PPE and gives food parcels to the people in the community.
Provided more service during the pandemic
The 53-year-old said that he had already spent $69,000 during the pandemic. Even so, he said it was "worth every penny" because his service helped keep people warm and alive. The dad-of-six explained how hard it is for a parent to keep their household, especially for those with disabilities.
He said that issues could sometimes make things difficult to overcome. So he said that he wanted to make sure that they take care of the families' needs. He added that people want to be there for each other because it is a social responsibility.
Currently, the tradesman from Burnley, Lancashire, works with many different plumbers around. His organization already works with people in Lancashire, Manchester, Leeds, Nottingham, and some parts of Scotland.
Plans to cover the whole UK
Soon, he hopes to cover the whole UK and has started a GoFundMe page for donations. Anderson has been humbled and emotional due to the people's reactions. He and a local team with three volunteers, four engineers, and three apprentices have helped take on 93 jobs for free between Christmas Day and New Year.
The kind plumber has been working non-stop. He said that each week, he works for 70 hours, seven days a week. He said he has not taken a single day-off because he will have enough rest when he is dead.
The fundraising page has already raised over $22,800 to give free repairs for families. Some of the people whom the nonprofit has helped became a member of their community.
