Martina Sangster’s ceiling was on her floor. Living room, dining room and entryway—all tumbled down after what started as a small crack.

“It looked like a bomb went off,” Sangster, who lives in the East Moline, Ill., home with her son, daughter and brother, told the Quad-City Times.

Her insurance wouldn’t cover the mess and her family couldn’t afford the extensive work that was needed. But help came from a different direction: the AFL-CIO community services liaison for United Way of the Quad Cities Area and local union members who donated their skills and also contributed the materials.

“I couldn’t believe there have been so many here, donating their time,” Sangster told the Times. “I was the one always giving what I could, dropping a couple of dollars into the kettle or giving to this or that. I never thought I’d be the one needing help. I prayed on this blessing. I think these people will get into heaven with golden wings.”

Read Sangster’s full story, which is highlighted in the AFL-CIO’s @Work hub featuring the innovative and community-based work of union members and unions, here.