Tyler Perry Helps Elderly Couple Repair Home After They Were Allegedly Scammed by Contractor

“It was like God had come down and answered my prayer — it was just so much joy,” said Dorothy Williams

<p>John Nacion/Variety via Getty </p> Tyler Perry at Tyler Perry

John Nacion/Variety via Getty

Tyler Perry at Tyler Perry's "Divorce In The Black" New York premiere held at the Regal Times Square on July 8, 2024 in New York, New York

Tyler Perry knows the importance of making a difference.

After Atlanta residents Dorothy and George Williams were allegedly scammed by a contractor who promised to make repairs to their home but never finished the job, Perry decided to step in immediately, reports The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

According to the outlet, the elderly couple first entered into an agreement with contractor Steven Chastain and a home restoration company named HomeSmart Services in early 2022. After Chastain reportedly provided a quote of $147,000 for the repairs, the couple took out a loan to cut him the first in a series of checks.

The couple told the outlet that Chastain and his team then began work on the home but never finished the project after being paid $60,000. PEOPLE has reached out to Chastain's attorney for comment.

<p>Noam Galai/Getty</p> Tyler Perry attends Tyler Perry's Mea Culpa Premiere at The Paris Theatre on February 15, 2024 in New York City

Noam Galai/Getty

Tyler Perry attends Tyler Perry's Mea Culpa Premiere at The Paris Theatre on February 15, 2024 in New York City

Related: Tyler Perry Building New Home for 93-Year-Old Woman as Developers Try to Push Her Out: Source

ADVERTISEMENT

Perry read The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's initial July 3 story about the couple's situation and called them soon after to say, "I'm going to pay for everything."

“She started praising God, she couldn’t even get a word out for a while, because that’s how desperate she was," the producer told the outlet about his conversation with Dorothy, 73. "And she had been in and out of hospital because of the stress from what this person did. I’m definitely going to make sure they are OK."

“It was like God had come down and answered my prayer — it was just so much joy,” Dorothy said of Perry's gesture, which came months after one of her grandchildren set up a GoFundMe to help with the process.

Tyler Perry
Tyler Perry

Related: Tyler Perry Reportedly Offers $400,000 to Cocoa Brown After She Lost Home in Fire

ADVERTISEMENT

This is not the first time that Perry, whose charity work earned him the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the 2021 Oscars, has done an act of kindness.

After actress Cocoa Brown and her son Phoenix lost their Fayetteville, Ga., home in a devastating house fire in February, Perry reportedly made a $400,000 pledge to help fix the property.

"Having each other, our fur babies, and seeing and feeling all this love has strengthened our love for each other and humanity," Brown told TMZ, which reported news of the donation.

In addition to Perry's contribution, The Single Moms Club star also received support from Tiffany Haddish and Marlon Wayans in a GoFundMe campaign created by her team, which raised $80,000 of its $100,000 goal.

Last October, a source told PEOPLE that Perry was building a new home for 93-year-old Josephine Wright after developers tried to force her out of her historic South Carolina property.

<p>Cindy Ord/Getty</p> Tyler Perry attends the Netflix's "Mea Culpa" New York Premiere at Paris Theater on February 15, 2024

Cindy Ord/Getty

Tyler Perry attends the Netflix's "Mea Culpa" New York Premiere at Paris Theater on February 15, 2024

The source told PEOPLE at the time that the filmmaker was keen on building Wright a new home on the same land where she lives and that "they expect to break ground in the coming weeks."

ADVERTISEMENT

"Tyler wanted to be able to provide a house for her that was large enough for her entire family to be together, including her grandkids," the source said.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Perry made a similar generous gesture in February 2023 when an insider told PEOPLE that he was donating $750,000 to help prevent the displacement of low-income seniors in Atlanta.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.