In New Jersey, USA, there’s a rule that says property owners must keep their homes in good shape by painting and fixing things to make the neighborhood look nice. But some folks can’t do it, either because they don’t have enough money or because they’re getting old or sick.

Ann Glancy, an older teacher, couldn’t keep up with taking care of her home because she was getting older.

Her house looked run-down, and she didn’t have much money from her small pension to fix it up all the time.

Luckily, Ann had really nice neighbors. They decided to collect money and fix up her house themselves. At first, Ann felt embarrassed and said no, but then she got a big fine that she couldn’t pay. So she agreed.

The neighbors’ friends joined in, and they got to work. It was fun working together, and they finished quickly. They spent weekends all summer fixing things. By the end, Ann’s house looked completely different – they fixed the windows, porch, and used new boards for the walls.

The people who helped Ann became friends with her and started visiting her regularly. The repairs would have cost Ann a lot, at least $10,000, but the kind neighbors paid for everything.