WACO, Texas (KXXV) — The owner of a Waco home was facing potential fines from the city for code violations — but now it has a whole new look. A fresh coat of paint and a whole lot of community spirit transformed this Waco home when neighbors came together to help.
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The stroke of these brushes is more than creating a masterpiece. For Arturo Ramirez, every coat of paint is about keeping his family's memories from the past 53 years alive.
"My wife passed away here in the house, and we had eight children and four of them we adopted," Ramirez said.
The city of Waco was working with Ramirez on code violations because his house wasn't painted up to code. He explained it would have cost him $2,000 to $3,000 to paint it himself — that's when his neighbors stepped in.
"I met one of the neighbors here last night, and I said we're going to be painting down there, and he shows up ready to go and then even a couple of little girls on their scooters came by and they started helping us paint," neighbor, Ken Cunningham, said.
Baylor University students also felt called to pick up a few brushes.
"Christ went out and served other people, and it's a great example of what we're supposed to do, serve our neighbor," Baylor student Aja Utley said.
Now, as Ramirez stands in front of his freshly painted home, he doesn't just see a house. He sees love. He sees legacy. He sees a canvas touched by community.
"It means a lot because when you don't have the means to fix your house, the community is here, you just have to find the people to help you," Ramirez said.
The city replied with the following statement:
"Our Code Compliance team has been working with the property owner on code violations pertaining to the property's exterior paint, walls, stairs, and foundation skirts since March of this year. The property owner has stayed in contact with the code officer assigned to the case since this date and has requested extensions to allow time to obtain assistance with repairs needed to comply. It is our understanding from communication with Grassroots Community Development on October 14, 2025, that a volunteer group has committed to performing the exterior painting. This project is expected to be finalized within a couple of weeks of that date. Once this occurs, we should be able to comply the code case."
The city also stated: "No citations or fines have been issued to date. Fine issuance and regulation for any cited violations are managed by Municipal Court."
Ramirez said he and his late wife opened their hearts and home to 23 foster children — and over the years, this house has been filled with love.
Now, he's deeply grateful that same love came back around, through the kindness of his neighbors.
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