WOODLAND, Calif. — A woman from Woodland just received a home renovation... and she didn't even have to hire contractors!
Faye Abbas' community near Beamer Park in Woodland came together and donated their time and support to fix her home.
Abbas is blind and has taught singing and piano lessons for more than 30 years out of her home. She now relies on teaching and Social Security as her main sources of income.
"This was a new neighborhood when I moved here in 1991," said Abbas. "I wanted a house where my mother could come and visit and I wanted a room where I could teach music."
Abbas grew up in South Carolina and picked up her love of music and playing the piano at a very young age. She went to the South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind around the age of seven, where she took piano lessons and learned how to read braille music.
After majoring in music in college, Abbas realized how much joy music brought to her and how she wanted to bring that joy to others. Once she started teaching piano and voice lessons, she traveled across the country to perform.
Since moving to Woodland, Abbas' neighbors recognized her passion and love for music. Her neighbor, Paul Bridge, felt helping her with her house was the best thing to do, so he rallied the community.
"Faye has limited resources," said Bridge. "She's a sweet lady, she's a great musician and she needs the help. We felt it was important to update her house for herself and for the community of her students so they would also see it as a nice, bright, beautiful place on the outside."
Bridge first noticed the house's wear and tear while walking around for the neighborhood watch. The project was on his mind for a few months and he knew the front just needed paint, but the sides and back of the house were in dire condition.
After putting up flyers and telling other neighbors and community members, Bridge turned to social media. He posted pictures about the house's renovations in different neighborhood groups and was able to get a lot more people within the community willing to help.
Abbas' neighbor and Bridge's friend, Doug Bigham, started a GoFundMe called "Fix Faye's House" on Sept. 25 with a goal to raise $10,000. Since the start of the campaign, they raised $6,235 for the interior and exterior renovations.
"We've just been so isolated with the pandemic and everything, it's just been really nice to have a cause that everybody can contribute to," said Bigham. "Now that we've actually gotten together and met up to work together on the house, it's really awesome and it makes me feel great. I think it touches all of us to be able to help somebody that might need a little extra help."
Abbas' neighbors held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Nov. 5 to celebrate the finished exterior of the house. The house still needs interior repairs, so the GoFundMe is still open to donations.
"There's a saying 'it takes a village to raise a child.' Well, I'd like to say it takes a community to raise a human being," said Bridge. "It really takes a community to help individuals because we all have problems and we face challenges, so I encourage people to reach out to others and try to make their lives better."
Abbas said she wants her house to be a happy place for herself, her neighbors, and her students. Now, thanks to her community, she has a home that feels brand new.
"It's just like family," said Abbas. "I had no idea anybody was even noticing. I've been here and I knew people were here, but I had no idea that people were paying attention. The story is really them, it's not me and I think what it's done for us as a neighborhood has just drawn us even closer. It's wonderful, I am so blessed and thankful."
Gallery of renovations to Woodland home
WATCH MORE ON ABC10: Blind Woodland woman teaching piano gets house revamp from community
