She was about to be evicted from her home of 20 years. Her neighbors stepped up and did the unthinkable

Albert Einstein once said, 'Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.' A Minneapolis community that bought a house for an elderly woman fearing eviction just proved the profoundness of the powerful line. Linda Taylor was devastated when her landlord informed her she had to vacate the place within two months. Taylor, (then) 70 years old, was heartbroken, and rightfully so; her house meant everything to her. Especially at that age, she had spent almost all her life building quiet moments of comfort, carrying irreplaceable memories of the last two decades that Taylor had spent there.

In 2004, Taylor had bought the house but later sold it back to the previous owner after falling short on payments. She basically fell victim to a confusing real estate deal and ended up renting the house for the next 15 years. In 2022, Taylor faced her biggest nightmare, as her landlord, Greg Berendt, served her an official notice to move out of the house by April. "I could not sleep, I could not eat. I felt really defeated," Taylor shared with The Washington Post. She said Berendt, who had bought the house in 2006 after its previous owner was caught in a mortgage fraud scheme, wanted to sell the house and had asked for $299,000, an amount Taylor could not afford. She was working at a nonprofit organization but was later laid off during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite losing her job, Taylor continued paying rent — about $1,400 a month — using her savings, money from family, or government subsidies. Surprisingly, even in such a distressing situation, Taylor didn't give up. In fact, she knew she would win back her house.

She talked about her situation to Andrew Fahlstrom, her neighbor, who worked as a housing rights organizer. Fahlstrom understood her condition and immediately contacted other neighbors to discuss what they could do to help Taylor. "People listened to what Miss Linda was saying and wanted to do something. It was just such a clear and compelling story that everyone rallied for her," he said. The Powderhorn Park community stepped in, almost immediately, and decided they wouldn't allow their neighbor to be displaced. They started an empowering campaign and sent a letter signed by about 400 neighbors to Berendt, urging him to start negotiations with Taylor so she could buy the house. Berendt agreed and allowed Taylor to continue renting the house with an opportunity to buy it by June 30, 2022. The landlord also compromised on the sale price, bringing it down to $250,000. Taylor wouldn't have been able to get back to her home even at this price, but then her community stood up to support her again.

They started a fundraising program to help raise the amount Taylor needed to buy the house. From art shows to social media campaigns, the local community did everything they could to raise the amount. A local church joined in, donating the largest amount — $200,000 — and with that, Taylor's faith in getting back her home grew tenfold. In 4 months, the community raised $275,000 for Taylor. Finally, a month before the landlord's deadline, Taylor closed on her home, getting back the house after 2 decades. "When it's yours, it gives you a different type of feeling. I'm safe, I'm secure, and I have a home... I'm here to help the next person and the next person and the next person," she said. Meanwhile, reacting to the beautiful story, @norasmith563 commented, "This is so beautiful and inspirational! God is good! You have such a wonderful community. I am your age, and I know very few people where I live. To see so much love makes me feel hopeful." 

Another user on the platform, @candy__kakes, wrote, "This is so awesome! This is such a great blessing! Thank god, people are all helping each other out in times of need. There needs to be more of this, but for some reason, others see others going through a very tough situation or very rough time, and they tend to run away from their situation rather than help them out and be a part of the solution. This clay life is not promised to us, so while we are here, help each other out there, for the Lord! It will restore your faith and strengthen your family, and it will bring worth into your life. Amen!"

You can follow @savelindashome on Instagram to know more about Linda Taylor's story.