BARTOW, Fla. -- It's been nearly a year since Hurricane Irma traveled through Polk County, damaging thousands of homes in its path.

• Bartow family still rebuilding after Hurricane Irma
• Mother's home was damaged by the storm
• Family found contractor who was willing to repair home

Tarps are still on many roofs and many families like the Showers are still working to recover from the storm.

The day after Irma plowed through Bartow, one of Ruth Showers' sons, Dan Faison said he found his mother's 40-year-old home in shambles.

"Inside the house there was actually a limb, a branch going through three parts of the house and it was total destruction," Faison said.

His mother was a single mother of eight who worked as a school cafeteria supervisor for many years to buy and pay off the house.

"Through her blood, sweat and tears, she put us in a nice house," he said. "We came out of the projects."

Faison's mother died in 2010. He said there was no way they were demolishing the home.

"All of our memories were here," Faison said. "This is where we spent our Thanksgiving, our Christmas."

For months, Faison said he couldn't find a contractor who could repair the home. They all wanted to tear it down and charge more than the family could afford to rebuild.

"My brothers and sisters kept saying we not going to be able to save this house," he said.

Then Faison found Nu Era Construction Management. The company was able to save 60 percent of the exterior walls and work within his budget. Owner William Likely said he's proud he was selected for the job.

"I'm from this area," Likely said. "Most importantly, to be able to come back and help a family from a community I grew up in means the most to me."

Likely said he threw in some extra features the home didn't have before.

"This was a carport, not a garage, Faison said. "So that's one of the things we were blessed by."

Likely also added vaulted ceilings, a lanai and larger master bedroom and bathroom to the home.

"Irma was a blessing. It was not a curse for this family," Faison said.

 Now the struggle is deciding which of the eight siblings will live in the home.

"All of us are going to enjoy this house," Faison said.

"Who is going to live the master bedroom?" we asked.

"We (are) still fighting over it," Faison joked.

The home is expected to be move-in ready in November.