After being threatened with eviction, a retiree was able to purchase the house she had rented for two decades after the community raised a quarter-million dollars on her behalf.
Linda Taylor was a beloved neighbor in her Minneapolis community, known for having a golden heart and a green thumb.
She began renting a small house on 10th Avenue and East 36th Street in the Powderhorn Park district 19 years ago as a volunteer to help the homeless and needy. There, the 70-year-old retiree established himself as a “bright star” in the community.
When her landlord decided to sell the property he gave her until the end of January to leave, it appeared that the bright star would be severely dimmed, possibly permanently.
After she told one neighbor, the majority of Powderhorn rallied around her, striking a deal with the landlord that if he gave “Miss Linda” until the end of June, they would raise the money to buy the house.
The fundraising efforts did not take a one-size-fits-all approach. Inflation is at a 40-year high, owing to previous monetary inflation reaching broader sectors of the economy, and gas recently crossed a national average of $5.00 per gallon, but even in such difficult times, people were able to open their hearts, minds, and wallets to make their project a reality.
It took an art show, a bake sale, pro-bono work from a real estate agent, countless small donations, and other community-fund drives to raise the money—which they did a month ahead of the June 30th deadline.
“Yesterday I went and did the closing for the house,” Taylor said. “It makes me feel so good, everything that I have given, it’s coming back to me and I want to continue to give. I love this neighborhood.”
