Muskogee Veteran Floored As Community, Local Business Offer To Repair His Home For Free

An Air Force Veteran in Muskogee who hit rough times will get some much-needed housework done for free Friday.

After recently losing the love of his life, a storm this week ripped the weather head off his house, leaving costly damage behind. So, the community came together to do something good that Jim Alberty will never forget.

"Definitely the love of my life," said Air Force Veteran Jim Alberty. 

Alberty will tell you that his love story found him.

"We went to high school together in 1976, did not know each other at all and then we were both working at the VA hospital, met and there you go," said Alberty. 

That love story as he knew it ended in June when Kat passed away and the grief is coming in waves.

"She was definitely a heck of a woman with a heart of gold," said Alberty. "I have still got her; she is here with me right now."

When the storm hit this week, the winds ripped the weather head off the back of Alberty’s house.

"I am in danger of not having any electricity," said Alberty. "When my wife passed away it took everything I had in savings."

He needed help to get the weather head repaired. Alberty’s story traveled quickly to Victor Lezama at The Barracks Muskogee.

"So, at first, I contacted Matt from Muskogee Tree Trimming and Removal, he was really lucky he still had power to the house. Matt came out that same day, out of the kindness of his heart decided to do this at a fraction of the cost," said Lezama. "Like any other nonprofit during the COVID era, we are hurting for funding. We made a post this morning on Facebook. In less than five minutes we had six individuals reach out trying to cover the cost."

"One thing led to another - it is just, wow," said Alberty. 

The work at Alberty’s starts on Friday.

"They are going to chop down all of those trees, they are going to loosen up the line, we are going to put that pipe back on his house, then we are going to get some volunteers to come over and remove all the debris and we should be golden from there," said Lezama. 

All of this came together in less than a week.

"I know my wife loves me; so do they," Alberty said. 

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