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Teens Mocked This Man’s House, So a Neighborhood Fixed It For Him

A man needed help, not mockery. A community stepped up to the plate.

Josh Cyganik (left) and the home's owner, Leonard Bullock (right). Image via Union Pacific Community Ties Blog

Teenagers: quite possibly the nation’s worse source of intelligent comedy. Over in Pendleton, Oregon, a group of local teenagers decided that they would brush off their (terrible) comedy skills and make fun of a stranger’s house. The house was, indeed, falling apart, which is why Josh Cyganik, a Union Pacific employee working across the street, decided he would do something about it. Cyganik posted about the event on Facebook, and within days, he had over 100 people show up to the house, ready to repaint and rebuild—all for free.


Cyganik reported that both he and the owner, Leonard Bullock, overheard the teens say: “Look at this crappy house, they just need to burn it down.” The worker was incensed, but instead of getting angry, he decided to do something about it. When volunteers showed up to Bullock’s house on Friday, Cyganik had them build a new porch, donate new patio furniture, and rebuild. The transformation, documented below, is remarkable.

As Bullock told ABC News, ”The house is real nice now … This makes me feel good to look at it, especially after what the teenagers said.” Facebook posts are often used to express (self-righteous) fury. How awesome to find one that actually, you know, made a difference?

(Via Union Pacific Community Ties Blog)

The house before. Image via Union Pacific Community Blog

Volunteers at work. Image via Union PacificCommunity Blog.

Complete. Image via Union PacificCommunity blog

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