KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Back in August, Megan Criniere's life changed after she lost her husband Charles, in a hit-and-run while he was riding his bike.
Nearly two months after his death, Criniere says her family, friends and the community have not forgotten about her family of 10.
The community has stepped up to help remodel the family's home — a project Charles wanted to complete.
“We've had non-stop action since after the funeral,” Criniere said. “We're just super grateful from the smallest stuff that shows up on my porch, to the person putting a roof, to major companies who literally don’t know us.”
Now, she's working to get her life back on track, with tools from the community.
“We are not by ourself, so we just know that this circle of people supporting us is really big,” Criniere said. “It gets bigger by the day.”
She says family, friends and strangers are helping rebuild a foundation for her kids, starting with their home.
“Companies donating either resources or labor, and then another company kind of filling in the resource gap," Criniere said. "Some of it is friends, and some of it is complete strangers that I've never met before."
The community has stepped up to remodel and update appliances for free.
“They're going to redo the drive-ways in there," Criniere said. "The siding was wooden, now they are going to put all vinyl siding. They're going to build a deck, they have a landscaper coming to do the patio downstairs in the retaining wall. Goodness, that's just the outside stuff, then they're talking about other projects inside.”
She says this project takes a weight off her shoulder.
“Maintenance will be free almost — something that I don't have to up keep and continue having to fix when it breaks down,” Criniere said.
Justin Jeffries was a good friend of Charles, and said it was a project he wanted to be a part of.
“We're keeping in mind that she doesn't have Charlie around to do certain things,” Jeffries said. “It's now like, 'Oh, is it going to get done with Charlie being gone now.' And I think that me and a lot of other guys wanted to step in and see this dream that they had come true.”
Jeffries said the remodeling process has not been easy, but it's well worth it.
“Just praying and saying 'God, I don't know how this is going to happen,'” he said. “We want to help and these are the things that we have that need to happen.”
With many people donating so much to a family in need, the hearts of Criniere and her children are full.
“To see this get even bigger than our own family could do is just miraculous,” she said.
Jeffries told KSHB 41 News that he and the crews need help, and if you would like to find out more he can be reached at (913)-286-3020.
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