Orchard Park, N.Y. (WBEN) - The call is out for help fundraising money for an 81-year-old veteran and his housebound wife after their home in the Town of Orchard Park suffered devastating damage that has compounded over the last couple years.
"Two years ago, they had a tree fall down on their family room and crushed in the family room roof. They finally had the tree removed. January '25, we had all that heavy snow and it collapsed the roof. So he put some tarps up and tried to get by," said John Gullo, code enforcement officer in the Village of Orchard Park and friend of the elderly couple.
Gullo describes the Navy veteran as a man that came from that generation where they could handle any situation without letting anybody know of any issues.
"When I did find out, I'm like, 'Why didn't you say something so we could help you out before it got to this point?' So we're here to help him out and get rectified so he can live a nice life," Gullo said with WBEN.
According to Gullo, the 81-year-old can't physically or financially keep up with the burdens anymore, especially with him trying to care for his homebound wife.
"It's a tough situation, especially trying to keep up with the rain coming in. There was only a little piece of plastic between the kitchen and the elements, so for two years, to deal with that, it was significant," Gullo noted.
John Gullo
At this point, fellow members of the community have helped the couple cover all the building materials, but there's more that has to be done with the house that costs more than what has already been covered.
"We have CNC Construction that is doing volunteer, pro bono work for us to help frame it and put the the roof underlayment down and the shingles down. But we're to the point where we're running out, [so] that GoFundMe now, we need a little more boost to get us over the edge," Gullo said. "We want to make sure it's buttoned up, especially for Veterans Day, which would be an awesome thing in a couple weeks. So if we can get that, that would be awesome."
Gullo certainly appreciates the effort from others, as they have someone helping to get the message out through the media, someone to run the GoFundMe page, and other volunteers with boots on the ground, trying to get everything done. They've even had a couple windows and a door for the current repairs donated to help the couple.
"It's a big concerted effort, it feels great," Gullo said. "And just to help somebody out that was serving our country when we had the Bay of Pigs, the Cuban Missile Crisis. That was where he was fighting for us. Now we're fighting for him."
Gullo is asking residents in Orchard Park and others across Western New York to donate and help, if they can, while also encouraging others to look out for their neighbors in the tough times.
"If you see that neighbor that needs help, help them, because it's going to mean a lot," he said. "They may not come up to you and ask for the help, but you should offer that lending hand, because it means a lot to people."
John Gullo
