It's no longer the holiday season, but there's still time for one more story about the spirit of giving.
This winter marks the first in four years that 62-year-old Rashid Alimi can rest comfortably in her home. That's because she finally has a functioning furnace and hot water. Up until last fall, Alimi faced the harsh Detroit winters -- where the temperature drops well below freezing, and even below zero -- without such basic amenities.
Mat Vivona Jr. of Father & Son Construction in Troy, Mich., heard about Alimi from contacts he has at a local television station. He agreed to install the furnace, and when the contractor originally slated to fix the hot water heater balked at replacing it, he took on that project too. Along with two local subcontractors, Leo Weiss Plumbing and Aladdin Heating, Father & Son replaced the furnace and hot water heater and installed a new chimney liner.
Although Alimi's welfare was the first thing on his mind when he accepted this project, Vivona says that there was another reason as well. The remodeling industry in the area has taken a hit recently, with a lot of bad press due to some dishonest companies. Vivona hopes that this story will put the industry back in a positive light. "I wanted [the media] to have a good story to do on a remodeling company," he says.
