Jim Colbert’s home is full of moldy walls, peeling paint, buckling floors and a roof that constantly leaks.
“When it rains, it pours down this wall. It's a sheet of water. I catch it in these clothes baskets, keep dumping them,” says Colbert.
The 76-year-old has been living in his damaged Sand Springs home since storms hit back in May of this year.
“I got ahold of FEMA because they were helping everybody and they denied me- said that the house was livable so they weren't going to help. If you can call this livable,” says Colbert.
Colbert lives on social security, which is about fifteen-hundred dollars a month.
He didn't have insurance at the time and can't afford tens of thousands of dollars in repairs.
Unfortunately, Colbert’s story isn't uncommon.
Catholic Charities of Eastern Oklahoma says the need for help is great.
“Many people are still out of their homes or they're living in their homes with the sheet rock cut halfway up the wall and a lot of their situations are pretty bad.” Says Marylynn Lufkin, Director of disaster relief.
Surprisingly, Catholic Charities finds few people are willing to help.
“Usually in storms in the past they've had a lot of volunteer crews come in and our construction person said that this is the first time that he hasn't seen as many volunteers as in other storms..” says Lufkin.
It’s that kind of help that Colbert and others like him desperately need.
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