Cathy has worked in the restaurant field since she launched her first restaurant when she was 17.
“I was fortunate enough that I love it. I enjoy the camaraderie between the customers every day.
Like so many people across our nation, the COVID-19 pandemic affected Cathy.
“During COVID, the restaurant shut down. In that process, I couldn’t keep insurance up on the house. I knew I would lose the house if I fell behind on payments, said Cathy Gallimore.
On one Friday night, Cathy was scheduled to work the entire weekend at the restaurant.
“I had made enough Friday night, that when I left there at 10:30 I told the girls, I was so excited, I made it, I made enough money tonight I will be able to go Monday morning and get the insurance back on my house. I was so excited,” said Cathy.
“I guess God had other plans, because when I left there, the sirens were going off as I was headed home.”
Cathy’s house had severe damage from the tornado.
“Of course it didn’t fare well, nor did the furniture. It all caved in and came down and broke.”
Cathy fell in love with her original 112-year-old home because of historical features like the front door and the wraparound porch. The tornado destroyed almost everything in the original house. However, God’s Pit Crew was able to salvage the original front door and restore it. The original front door is now the door to the laundry room.
It is an important detail and was the first thing Cathy commented on as she entered her new home.
“After the tornado, they were able to salvage the door. It was in pieces down at the bottom, they gathered it all up and took it off and had it restored and was able to put it incorporated into this home. What’s wonderful about that is they faced the door to where it is located at what was the front of the old house was. I intend now I do is God had a hand in all of it as beautifully restored it and it’s beautiful,” said Cathy.
After months of having no home, Cathy is grateful to have a place to call home again.
“I went from being homeless, and now these people helped to get me home and get my life back to me. I look at this up on the hill and think, this is my home. People are standing around here who did this for me; they work diligently for this. It’s very humbling to feel very blessed. This house is so much more than I ever expected, and it’s gorgeous.
When asked what she would do now that she had her new home, Cathy reflected on returning to her neighborhood.
“I’m glad to be home I’m glad to be back sitting here in this chair, when I look out the window I see the same neighbors in the same yards , in the same cars driving by. It just feels amazing to be home. I’m going to enjoy the rest of my life here. I’m just going to enjoy every moment that God gives me to enjoy this house and lemonade with my neighbors and sweet tea on the front porch, sitting on the porch swing and enjoying it.”
