Facilitated by an Internet friend connection, the Bonney Lake Lions Club helped out a resident in need this holiday season.
Homebound Bonney Lake resident Adam Neese would have never guessed that befriending a Texas resident in an Internet chat room months ago would provide him with local help he crucially needed last week.
Just prior to Halloween, Neese began to suspect there was a break in the water line coming in from the main line at the street. Living mostly independently though somewhat homebound due to an injury he sustained as an infant, Neese required assistance with his bill management from his family. Due to this, he was unaware of the dramatic increase in his water bill from the usual $50 per month range to more than $850 by December.
Because of non-payment, Tacoma Water shut off water services to his home located on Prairie Court East in Bonney Lake "about two weeks ago," said Neese.
"I did not even know exactly what was going on until my water was shut off. I was talking about it to "B" on the Internet and he told me he would try to help. I didn't think he could all the way from Texas," said Neese. "I talked to the water company and I finally got my billing address transferred here, so I could get this problem fixed."
Neese was relaying all this to his online friend, Austin, TX Lions Club member Paul Hughes, known only to Neese as "B." Hughes realized there was a need for action and called the local Bonney Lake Lions Club and alerted them to the situation.
"This isn't the sort of thing the Lions usually do," said David Colbeth, Bonney Lake Lions chapter president. "This is beyond the scope of our focus, but this man really needed help, so I called in some favors."
Since the break in the line occurred on private property, it is the financial responsibility of the property owner. In this case, the property owner was neither financially nor physically able to fix the problem, so he was attempting to survive without water.
On Dec. 21, Colbeth and friends, as well as some of Neese's neighbors, arrived at 9 a.m. to find and repaire the break in the water line at no charge. Watching from a wheelchair, Neese sat close by, overseeing every step of the job.
Bob Mills, owner of WaterWise Irrigation, called his friend Joe Hayes, Territory Manager of Ditch Witch Northwest and between them came up with a solution. The manual shovel work done by fellow Lions Club member David Moberg and neighbors Jason Morris and 9 year-old Sam. Together, they dug a ditch from the street to the back of the residence where the water line entered the home.
Colbeth said he was pleased with the outpouring of help by all involved.
"The Lions have gone over and above. We don't usually do this type of thing," Moberg explained. "Our focus is more vision and hearing related, but this guy really needed help."
Tacoma Water has assured Neese that they will fix his bill and take off the extensive charges by the next billing cycle.
"I can't thank these guys enough for all they have done for me," Neese said with a smile.
Volunteers Take a Lion's Share of Work
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