Retired Army veteran Bob Bruce is the kind of person who believes in hard work over handouts. So when a huge tree crashed onto his St. Augustine home during Hurricane Milton, the 76-year-old—who had just been released from the hospital after battling cancer—decided to take care of it himself.
A Shocking Morning Surprise
Bob and his wife, Valerie, were asleep when the tree fell.
“We didn’t hear anything,” Bob told The Citizen. “Our neighbors came over the next morning and told us there was a tree on our house.”
Despite their struggles—living on Social Security and caring for their disabled adult son—Bob immediately went out and bought a chainsaw to remove the tree himself.
“Our neighbors told us not to worry,” Valerie said. “But Bob said, ‘No, we’ll do it ourselves’ and went right out to get a chainsaw.”
However, before Bob could even start, neighbors and workers from J. Lee Construction had already arrived. Using chainsaws and tractors, they quickly removed the massive tree from the Bruces’ roof.
“I’m so grateful,” Valerie said, her voice full of emotion. “I know others have it worse, but I want everyone to know how much this means to us.”
A New Problem: No Insurance for Roof Repairs
Unfortunately, removing the tree revealed major damage to their roof. And in an unlucky twist, Bob’s home insurance had just lapsed before the hurricane due to a paperwork mistake. That meant they had to pay $5,300 for the roof repair on their own.
That’s when Amy Tarmey and Gaston Buschiazzo, owners of the Bueno Onda Cafe in St. Augustine, stepped in.
“We knew they were on a fixed income,” Tarmey told The Citizen. “It’s a big expense, and we just wanted to help.”
Fundraising Efforts Bring Hope
The cafe quickly organized a fundraiser, offering free coffee and soup in exchange for donations. Within six hours, they raised $1,300 in cash.
Tarmey also launched a GoFundMe campaign, which raised another $965 as of Sunday.
“We have the best community here,” she said. “Even people who couldn’t come to the cafe wanted to help, so we set up an online fundraiser.”
A Community’s Kindness
The support deeply moved the Bruces. Bob, who lost his nose to cancer and now wears a prosthetic, became emotional when talking about the kindness of his neighbors.
“We didn’t even know their names before this,” he said about Amy and Gaston. “I had to go over there and apologize. We say ‘good morning’ every day, and I didn’t even know their names.”
Valerie was just as touched.
“They came in like angels and helped us,” she said. “My husband is 76, and he was going to chop that huge tree by himself. They came in and saved us.”