Oprah's Big Give helps college student
4:31 p.m. Thursday, March 20, 2008
"I have three broken windows in my house," said Meghan Olson.
She grew up in this Southeast Topeka house. Now that her mother is gone, it's up to Meghan to fix up this home for herself and her son, Cameron.
"There were cabinets but we ripped them out and ripped the carpet out because it was barely livable," she remembered.
Between going to school full-time and only working part-time at Let's Help, there's little money for repairs.
"This is his room and this is where he sleeps," Meghan said as she showed us around.
She says the sacrifice is worth being a full-time mother to Cameron.
"If I'm not here for him, then everything I'm doing at school...I mean, there's no point. It's all for him," she said.
Oprah's Big Give is helping people across the country get back on their feet. Inspired by the big give, Slumberland and the FCC Advertising has offered to make over Meghan's house for her.
Meghan said, "It's the best feeling that your community can rally around you like this. It just never ceases to amaze me at the kindness of complete strangers."
Frank Chaffin with FCC Advertising gets his first look at the house. His client, Slumberland, is heading up the work.
Chaffin said, "He mentioned it would be a nice thing to do to help someone like an extreme makeover. When this opportunity came up it was obviously a no-brainer."
It will give Meghan a home she and Cameron can be proud of. She says it will inspire her to continue to give back and pay it forward.
"It really does snowball and it's infectious and I hope every one catches it. I do," she laughed.
The generosity doesn't stop there. Dr. Julie Swift is giving Meghan free dental work. She and her son Cameron visited Swift's office this week. She did an initial exam to see how much work needs to be done.
And Gregg Tire at 29th and Wanamaker is working on Meghan's old car for free. Today, they gave the car a tune-up and replaced some old parts.
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