Local nonprofit Katy Responds, which helps people in crisis to rebuild their homes after a natural or personal disaster in the Katy area, partnered with That 1 Painter for a “Paint It Forward” day on June 19, benefitting a home in the Cimarron neighborhood that was severely damaged during Hurricane Harvey almost nine years ago.

Wendy and Scott Lofgren own That 1 Painter Fort Bend County. Wendy Lofgren first met representatives of Katy Responds during a Women of Katy event where she told them about her company’s “Paint It Forward” initiative. Katy Responds applied for and was accepted into the program, choosing to benefit the Cimarron resident who is still displaced from her home. It is the first time the two groups have partnered.

That 1 Painter Fort Bend County donated the services of two painters for a ten-hour period, who painted the home’s interior and walls. More than 30 gallons of paint were donated for the project by Sherwin Williams.

“We were so thankful for the collaboration with That 1 Painter,” said Eliza Willhoit, Outreach and Engagement Specialist for Katy Responds. “It was a great experience and is such a blessing for the homeowner.”

The exterior of the home was previously painted by volunteers from Katy Responds, including several local church groups. More volunteers will finish up on the inside, painting trim and doors.

The painting of the house’s interior is the most recent step in a long and arduous journey for the homeowner, a widow in her mid-70s who has been fighting to get back into her home for the past nine years. As previously reported by the Katy Times, the woman and her late husband tried to repair the damage from Harvey themselves, only to be later scammed by a contractor who took $20,000 and vanished. While they fought the case in court, Rodriguez’s husband passed away from cancer. With her home still unlivable -- missing floors, walls, a kitchen, and bathrooms --she temporarily moved in with her son.

Willhoit is optimistic that the widow will be able to move back into her own home sometime in July. But the house still needs work – the primary bathroom needs to be completed, and shelving is needed for the closet in the primary bedroom. “We don't have the funds for flooring right now, so the floor is just concrete,” Willhoit said. “Unless someone steps up with donated materials [for about 1200 to 1600 square feet], we will have to give the home back to her with no flooring. That is probably the biggest need.”

To learn more about Katy Responds, go to katyresponds.org.