A new roof for Margo

PAYETTE, Idaho (CBS 2) — Bailey Bowker of Payette saw that a neighbor’s roof was failing. “It was bad,” Bailey explained. “There were holes in the back of it. It all needed to come off.”

She also realized that her neighbor, Margo, probably didn’t have the cash to pay for such a project. So, she decided to get as much as she could to help her pay for a new roof.

It was a daunting project for a young mother with two little girls and a 3rd child due in April. Bailey needed help. She found it in Cheryl Farley.

Cheryl is a longtime friend of Margo’s and jumped at the opportunity to come to her aid. She was also excited about enlisting Bailey as another volunteer in her small army of do-gooders.

Cheryl’s “Backpacks for Christmas” campaign is famous in the lower Treasure Valley. Each year, her group delivers toys, clothing, warm coats, and of course, backpacks to hundreds of children who otherwise would have little or nothing under the tree.

Bailey found the perfect mentor in Cheryl.

“First we got a hundred ... Then two hundred ... And it started moving up and she started getting more excited,” Cheryl recalled. “It was nice to help.”

Together, they raised about $3,000 dollars. That money went into building materials. Labor was provided by Margo’s family and friends.* They finished the roofing project the day before the first significant snowstorm of the Winter.

Bailey looks back on the experience with satisfaction, “I’m happy it got done. Happy that she will be able to stay warm and dry this winter and that she got the help she needed.”

And now Bailey has an extra $500 she can spend on her kids this Christmas, courtesy of Mountain America Credit Union’s Pay It Forward program. Angela Phillips surprised her with the cash, “We just want to help you keep going with the spirit of pay it forward!”

Bailey’s family has had to tighten the belt during the pandemic and the cash is a wonderful present. She said, “It means a lot. And we really appreciate it. Thank you.”

*The demolition and construction crew included Rob and Sandy Moore, Chad Davie, Jason Layne and son, Jim Slabough, all from Payette. From Boise: DJ Hammond, ColeBee and Kell Ransom, and Jeff Cosner. Travis Dayley from Caldwell. Dawson Moore and son from Weiser.

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