Athens community helps build tragedy-stricken family's dream home

ATHENS, Ga. — A community has come together to help a family of five.

A tree fell on Pedro Grosquieta's van last month in Athens and killed him.

He was killed before he could start repairs on the home he had just bought for his family. Now, the community is realizing his dream.
 
Volunteers were giving the home a mini-extreme home makeover. The work was going on inside and outside. The crew put on a new roof and painted the outside.
 
They were doing it exactly the way the family and Grosquieta had dreamed of.
 
The first hammers started swinging at 8 a.m. Saturday. 
 
The army of volunteers were helping the Grosquieta family. The three oldest of the five children and their mother are also working hard.

Grosquieta was killed when high winds toppled a tree onto his van. He had bought a fixer-upper house and had just started renovating it for his family before his death.
 
That's why teachers, administrators, parents and students from J.J. Harris Elementary School stepped in to get the house finished in one day.
 
"This is not a family asking, 'Can we have help for this,' for that, which is appropriate sometimes. Instead, this is a family we've known for several years and grown to love this family," J.J. Harris Elementary School counselor Scott Emard said. "Our kids at our school are our family so we came together with open arms and said, 'What can we do for you?' And they were a little hesitant at first, didn't want help at first, thought (they) needed to earn it. They said, 'Nope, we love you too much for that so,' we were able to step in and help out."
 
The one big concern at the start of the day was getting running water to the house.
 
The volunteers thought the well had run dry, but learned that Piedmont Wells is going to drill a brand new well for the family.

WSBTV