FORT PIERCE, Fla. — Thanks to the generosity of strangers and old friends, an 86-year-old Fort Pierce woman, who faced homelessness, is receiving some much needed help.
Libby Piersall thought she'd be spending Friday night in her truck after having to check out of her hotel room at 11 a.m.
But thanks Mustard Seed Ministries her hotel stay has been extended.
The non-profit paid for a hotel where Piersall can stay for the weekend. She and her late husband helped Mustard Seed start up its ministry for the needy, back in the mid-1980s.
"Mustard Seed? Well, I could see they were trying to provide for people, and their money was just barely enough to get them a little place," she said.
"Knowing that she was a part of our founding and long before I was thinking of Mustard Seed, she was here helping,” Greg Smith of Mustard See Ministries said. “It's just a blessing to give back to her and help her with what she needs now."
Piersall needs a new roof.
It's unclear if her storm-damaged house could support one, or if damage from last weekend's storm made it unlivable.
A Treasure Coast roofing company has offered to look at the roof to see if the home can be saved.
RELATED: Fort Pierce woman, 86, forced out of home after storms damage roof being repaired
"It's not going to stop,” said Yvette Cruz of St. Lucie Council on Aging. “She's going to continue receiving so much help and thank you for reaching out to us."
Cruz said after Contact 5’s call, she contacted several non-profits and businesses working to keep the 86-year-old living independently.
"That is our main goal, is to keep seniors safe in their home," she said.
In addition to paying for a hotel room, Mustard Seed Ministries' thrift shop will help Piersall with furnishings to replace what she lost when her roof collapsed.
"We're blessed with donations from the community. We do sell items. But in cases like Miss Libby has, for someone who has lost everything, we go in and we provide those for no charge," Smith said.
"Full circle, you're exactly right," Piersall said.
Persall's long-term living situation remains up in the air.
But in the short-term, she's getting help from friends and organizations, many of which she helped years ago.
