Disgusted by people ripping off the elderly, 22-year-old vows to repair their fences for free

Jon Horne, a West Midlands, England resident, might be the most selfless 22-year-old you’ll ever meet.

Out of sheer generosity, this kindhearted young man just volunteered to repair elderly people’s damaged fences for free. After his work is done, the only payment he asks from his senior clients is “a cuppa tea and some biscuits.”

This project began when Jon, who is also the owner of Solihull-based Midlands Fencing and Aggregates, fixed up a senior woman’s damaged fence in October 2018. The elderly lady named Pat called the company after Storm Callum broke down three panels in her fence.

Within an hour, Jon came to Pat’s residence to check on the damage. He noted that the woman was visibly “distressed and worried about the security at her home”.

Jon repaired the fence that same day, and when Pat asked him how much she owed him, the young man replied and said “nothing”. Seeing how hard the young man had worked at fixing her fence, Pat was understandably reluctant to let him go without paying him.

After having a short conversation with Pat, Jon knew more about the woman and learned of her struggles.

He also felt disgusted that some dishonest fencers in his trade have been taking advantage of elderly people after seeing some charged several times what they should be for simple jobs.

He shared his encounter with the elderly lady in his Facebook page. He wrote:

“She was reluctant to let me walk away without a payment but after a short conversation with her, she explained how she struggled to keep on top of her bills but the fence repair was a must. I can’t believe some of the older generation are in a situation where they have to decide whether to be warm or in this case have a secure fence.”

Jon was moved by Pat’s difficult situation, so he decided that throughout the bad weather, his company will be offering free fence repairs to “any senior citizens who are struggling”. All they’re asking for in return is “a cuppa tea and some biscuits” in exchange for their service.

He added: “My company is at a size where i can give a little back, and that’s what I intend to do. Please spread the word so our elderly aren’t worried about security this winter.”

Jon’s post quickly went viral, garnering 122,000 likes and almost 100,000 shares. Overwhelmed by the numerous responses that he got, Jon replied in the comments by saying that he is not “rich”, but he is “happy to help” where he can and hopes that by the time he becomes elderly, that “there are companies who can do the same”.

Seemingly inspired by this generous act, other people pitched in to help Jon’s initiative:

 

Another user made a suggestion that will help the company raise funds for this project:

After receiving 1,500 messages – over 500 of them coming from the elderly, families and people in distress all due to different circumstances – Jon heeded this advice and set up a GoFundMe solely dedicated to forwarding this cause.

Jon wrote: “Reading messages like we have received today makes you realize how privileged you are to have your health and loved ones an [sic] also upsets you to see the situations some people are currently in. We would love to help everyone who has messaged us but it’s physically impossible. We have set up a crowd funding page for anyone who would like to donate to help us help others.”

Jon said that even if they don’t receive donations, he still strives to help at least 8 to 12 elderly people per month. But from the looks of it, it seems like there will be no concern regarding donations, as the fund had already surpassed its goal of raising £1,000. As of writing, it has collected £2,713 from 196 people.

Keep up the good work, Jon! You are doing a great job, helping those who are disadvantaged without asking for anything in return. Indeed, this is a wise investment of your time, and we can only hope that other businesses follow your lead.

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