ELYRIA — It took Ken Reddinger Sr. all of about 10 minutes to figure out how he would help Catherine Taylor, a disabled Elyria woman on the brink of losing her home to foreclosure because of unpaid property taxes.

And it only took a few seconds for tears to well up in Taylor’s eyes and a smile to cross her face when she heard what he did.

After reading Taylor’s story Friday in The Chronicle, Reddinger, president of Buckeye State Welding & Fabricating in Elyria, set up The Catherine Taylor Fund at Buckeye Community Bank at the Centre of Sheffield.

When the donations come in, he said he’ll pull them out to pay her outstanding tax bill, which has grown since the initial reporting of $1,622 to $2,526 because this year’s bills haven’t been paid, either.

In addition, there’s also about $1,300 in court fees because the house has been placed in foreclosure. Her home is scheduled for sheriff’s sale Aug. 20.

“She’s going to get it paid,’’ he said matter-of-factly. “I’m so mad, I can hardly talk.’’

Reddinger wasn’t the only one who wanted to help. Many callers contacted The Chronicle, asking what they could do so Taylor could keep the home left to her by her parents.

One woman — who wants to remain anonymous — wanted to know how she could pay the bill in full. So did a man, who said he didn’t mind paying the bill but he was hoping that the court costs could be erased.

Attorney Jessica Baggett of the Lorain County Legal Aid Society tried to get those fees dropped last week but was unsuccessful. She said she is trying again and will file a motion Monday with Lorain County Common Pleas Court Judge James Ewers, asking that he waive the fees.

Taylor sat Friday evening on the front porch of her dilapidated home, obviously touched by the kindness and generosity of people.

Calls rang to her home all day, and she said at one point a man drove by with his window down and shouted, “I support you!”

She said she hadn’t expected help. She just wanted to tell her story, and let people know there are many, many more like her.

“I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth, and I never expect to have one there,” she said, her voice catching.

“I’m just thankful so many people would want to help somebody like me.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do from here,” she said, staring at the ground and dangling her legs off the edge of her concrete porch.

“Thank you to everybody who wants to help me. The truth is I wish this was over, but it’s not.

“I feel like even when this is all set right, (building inspectors) will be right back on me,” she said.

“These problems aren’t going away. They’ll drag me back through this again and again.”

Contact Jason Hawk at 329-7148 or jhawk@chroniclet.com.

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