News 4 viewers give back to couple living with no electricity

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — A metro couple who has been without power since a recent storm should soon have it restored, and then some, thanks to generous News 4 viewers.

Wednesday was day 43 in-a-row that Andrew Baker and Charity Coffey fueled up and ran a generator to keep their home cool on a blazing summer day.

They were also running the generator when News 4 first met them 15 days ago, and reported about their predicament.

“We're barely making ends meet,” Coffey said last month. “Like, it's rough, you know?”

Ever since a severe storm blew through their property in late June, the two former addicts who are now sober and in recovery, with a baby on the way, have had no power and no money to make the necessary repairs to get it restored.  

“It was like 100 mile an hour winds,” Coffey said.

“It's been a, it's been a struggle to keep to not want to not want to go back to that old life,” Baker said. “But God's got bigger and better plans for me or for us both.”

After News 4’s story aired last month, a contractor found Coffey and Baker on Facebook, got connected, and rewired everything back to code at no cost.

“He came out about nine o’clock that morning,” Coffey said on Wednesday. “It only took him a few hours.”

The contractor, who wants to remain anonymous, told News 4 he did it out of the kindness of his heart.

Pending a final inspection, Baker and Coffey should soon have their power back on.  

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, retired Edmond school teacher Melinda Moore stopped by News 4, and dropped off an envelope, she and her husband, Rod, wanted to pass along to Baker and Coffey.   

News 4 watched as Coffey opened the envelope and read a card inside, with a handwritten message from the Moores.

“We may not know your name, but we know you are special people who just need a little help,” Coffey read. “Hope this helps, love Rod and Melinda.”

Inside the card were five 100-dollar bills.

Coffey burst into tears as she counted the bills.

“We’ve been struggling so much,” Coffey said while fighting through tears. “Thank you so much.”

Those acts of generosity will restore more than just their power, but also faith in humanity, for the couple trying so hard to restore their own lives.

“We’ve been struggling so much,” Coffey said. “Thank y’all from the bottom, bottom of my heart.”