OPINION A little kindness goes a long way

We've all been there before-- held at the mercy of a contractor or repairman, frustrated that help isn't forthcoming when you need it. Helena DeSalvo of Norval was living every homeowner's nightmare recently when she tried to get someone to help her fix her leaky roof. With the wet weather we've experienced this month the problem was only being exacerbated and frustrating DeSalvo even more. For three weeks she called area roofers-- seven in total-- only to get the brush-off or the runaround. She wrote to the Independent & Free Press last week, not to enlist our help, but to vent her frustration with the lack of service she was receiving. Reporter/photographer Ted Brown wrote about DeSalvo's plight in Friday's edition and within a hour of the paper being on the street he received a call from a local contractor offering his help. By noon Saturday, DeSalvo and Brown had received 18 responses between them from roofers/contractors willing to lend a hand to DeSalvo. As it turned out, DeSalvo enlisted the help of Kevin Blondin of KB Enterprises, who showed up at DeSalvo's house early Saturday, spent several hours repairing her roof and then-- unbelievably-- told her there was no charge. "I didn't come here to fix it for the money or the recognition," said Blondin. "I just came here to help out someone who was frustrated and needed help stopping the rain from coming into her house." Blondin admitted to being "angry" when he saw the poor workmanship that led to leaky roof and added "it gives all roofers a bad name." His magnanimous gesture is to be commended for sure, but it should also act as a reminder to all business owners of how to deal with prospective customers. For her part DeSalvo was moved by the response to her plight and intends to contact everyone who offered help to thank them for their concern. Not only has DeSalvo's roof been restored, but her faith in her community. "It makes me feel so good, knowing there are so many good people like that (Blondin) out there."