FRANKLIN, Ky. (WTVF) — In moments of crisis, we often find out who someone really is.
"My youngest son, he woke me up, and he said, 'Dad we gotta get out of the house and I sad why. He said, the kitchen’s on fire,'" said Joe Dinkens. "I went upstairs, got her down, grabbed my grandson and just went out the door."
Joe, as he likes to be called, was so busy saving others that Valentines Day Night, he didn't grab a thing that belonged to him. Not even shoes.
"I was barefoot," said Dinkens. "Yea, and it was cold too."
Months later, Joe's house still sits untouched.
"Glass all in the yard and metal. It’s going to be a long drawn-out process I’d say," he said.
They had insurance, and they even found a contractor. They just don't know when he or she will show up.
"We really don’t know how long, I mean he could pull somebody off and send somebody up here, I don’t really know," said Dinkens.
That's because contractors are overwhelmed with storm damage from the series of tornadoes that tore through Southern Kentucky last December. Joe is at the back of a long line.
"He just said he had a 150 houses right now that he had to demolish, finish demolishing or whatever," he said.
Joe's relatives found a temporary apartment, but he can't make it up the stairs.
"I’ve been staying in a motel, but I ran out of money, so right now I’m staying in my car," said Dinkens. "Oh, it’s not real comfortable, no."
Everything Dinkens owns sits inside that car, and most of those items have been donated. The car also doesn't run, so it doesn't provide him any heat or cooling depending on the weather.
"No it’s not roomy, and the car don’t run so the heater don’t work, so it gets pretty cool some nights," he said.
Given all these circumstances, you would understand if Joe was angry or overwhelmed. Instead?
"It’s all going to work out," said Dinkins.
In a moment of crisis, David Joe Dinkins is showing who he really is.
"I’ve always tried to have a positive attitude on it, you can get down but if nothing else, you keep a positive attitude for the ones around you," he said.
Joe's family wants to raise enough money to buy Joe a camper, so he at least has a warm or cool place to stay.
Friday night, after our original story aired, a couple wishing to stay anonymous came forward and donated Joe a camper. He plans to pick it up on Sunday and says he's grateful for all the support he's received.
