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Volunteers spruce up homes for families in Orange County neighborhood

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Homeowners in one Orange County neighborhood are getting a boost this week thanks to complete strangers.
 
Channel 9 anchor Jorge Estevez learned that the volunteers are helping with repairs that the homeowners cannot do themselves.
 
One couple who has lived in central Florida for almost four decades fell on hard times. They said that things are now looking much better for them.
 
Aurora and Dan Rollin said a lot has changed in their Meadow Brook neighborhood since they moved in 35 years ago.
 
"There are so many people we don't know. We don't know our neighbors," said Aurora Rollin.
 
Recently their home began to suffer because both of them were overcoming medical issues.
 
"Me and my wife both had hip surgery. Also I couldn't go up and down the ladder very well," said Don Rollin.
 
But thanks to 40 new friends, the Rollins have help.
 
The group volunteered with Habitat for Humanity and gave the home a new look.
 
"It is really important. It is more than just a coat of paint. It really is a sense of community," said Jennifer Gallagher, director of community outreach for Habitat for Humanity.
 
It's part of Orange County's program to revitalize selected low-income neighborhoods one house at a time.
 
"We have our contractor come out look at the home and see if it is not too far gone, and they do small repairs and we paint the home for the homeowner," said Tabitha Wood, neighborhood coordinator for Orange County Neighborhood Preservation and Revitalization Division.
 
"I think it's wonderful that they can take the day and help and think of other people," said Aurora Rollin.
 
"A lot of volunteers come to work and help out. That is great for the neighborhood," said Dan Rollin.
 
 
Saturday morning the entire community of Meadow Brook will benefit from a cleanup day. Volunteers will return to haul off any trash that homeowners collect and bring to the curb.