NEW ORLEANS -- The big demolition crane bit huge chunks out of the fire damaged Garland family home. It was tough for Roy Garland and his sister Patricia to watch the house their father built torn down.
"I wasn't born here," Roy said, "but I was raised here since I was about 4 years old, and there's a lot of memories gone there."
The fire just before Christmas not only destroyed the home, but killed Roy's cousin and best friend Carl Galland.
"We was like brothers," Roy said at the time of the first Action Report in January. "Me and Carl was closer than me and my real brother."
But Roy is disabled, on limited income, and the fire left him homeless because he lived in a small, separate apartment behind the main house. It was not damaged, but it shared utilities with the main structure, which Roy had no way to demolish.
"I'm blind, I'm 62 years old, on disability," Roy said. "I can't drive, and even if I could tear it down, what am I going to do with it? Put the garbage in my back pocket, walk to the garbage can with it? There's nothing I could do."
"When I saw your story on Channel 4," said Tiger Roussell of Concrete Busters Of Louisiana, "I told my wife, as a matter of fact, we saw it together, and I told her, I said we've got to do something to help this man."
Tiger Roussell of Concrete Busters was one of a number of Eyewitness News viewers who responded to that first Action Report. He stepped in to handle the demolition, and much more.
"I think he's a wonderful guy, and certainly part of being a steward in the community is helping people like Roy," Tiger said. "I'm just amazed that there's people like that that would help somebody that they don't even know," said Roy's sister Patricia Garland.
Tiger Roussell's help was a critical step in helping Roy Garland find a place to live once again, because the next step is finding a way for him to move back into this efficiency apartment that he has lived in for seven years.
"That's what I have to do, I won't be happy no place but back there," Roy said.
Roy said the one room apartment meets his needs, but must have the utilities re-connected, and pass inspection.
"We're gonna to coordinate our efforts on behalf of Mr. Garland to see what we can do to assist him with getting some suitable housing," said Arleeta Terrel of Kenner Cares.
"I just want to see it happen," said Roy. "Then I'll really be all right."
I'll let you know what happens.
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