Screws has many of the comforts of home inside the 10-by-10-foot masonry enclosure - a TV set, mini-refrigerator, electric radiator, shelving, coat hangers and clothing.

“It’s easy to reach everything,” Screws said, laughing.

His bed - a wood platform cushioned with big throw pillows - sits right inside the doorway. When anyone comes calling all they have to do is shout. If Screws has been napping, he pushes the door open and greets his visitor from the prone position, blinking and rubbing his eyes.

Three cats hop down from his bed and yawn and stretch in the sun. Screws follows close behind them, standing in the doorway to greet his guest.

“These are mine,” he said. “There’s seven others from around the neighborhood that try to take up with me. When I feed mine they all come running.”

Screws was away from his home at 2803 Pat Drive on Jan. 1 when a fire burned his house to its foundations. When he left home the coals in his wood stove had burned down to embers, he said. But someone from the area who he said is mentally challenged came inside his house while he was gone and tried to stoke a new fire and it got out of control.

Screws also lost his pickup truck that was parked close by. When he returned home that afternoon, firefighters were everywhere. Hoses snaked all over the landscape.

“I lost 95 percent of everything I owned,” Screws said.

The structure was not insured, he said. His home was free and clear of a mortgage. So he got by on his Social Security check. But after the fire, he was left with an empty lot and charred ruins to clear away. The only thing left was the pump house around his well.

Local residents have come to Screws’ aid. Joe Trevino, president of the Belton Concerned Community Alliance, said the organization is working to get donations of materials and cash.

“This is a Korean War veteran who paid his dues and is not looking for a handout,” Trevino said. “He just needs a helping hand or two.”

Screws, who spent 40 years as a masonry contractor, hasn’t been waiting on someone else to do the job for him. During the year he has cleared his lot of burned debris and has dug the hole and set the framing for pouring a foundation for a new house.

Trevino said the Alliance has volunteers that will help with labor. For cash donations the organization has set up a bank account for Screws at the Extraco Bank at 2000 N. Main in Belton.

City Hall is giving Screws an assist, too. Jerri Gauntt, support services coordinator for the city, said Screws will not be charged for his building permits.

“We aren’t waiving the requirement for permits,” Ms. Gauntt said. “What we are waiving are the fees for the permits.”

Trevino, who is a draftsman by trade, said he is preparing drawings to meet city requirements on the foundation. A local donor paid to have floor plans, electrical and plumbing and elevations drawn earlier this year.

Trevino said he is also working on commitments to have a central air and heat system donated, concrete for the foundation and cinder block for the walls. An electrical contractor in Austin may wire the house and a soldier and his wife have offered to supply the doors and interior components.

Screws said his plans call for plastered cinder block construction with metal doors, metal rafters and metal roof.

“It will be rat proof, termite proof and fire proof,” Screws said, grinning.

A nephew gave Screws a used pickup truck to replace the one that burned, along with the metal for the roof. Paramount Porta-Potty of Temple delivered a chemical toilet last week. Screws said he had spent all year going to the courthouse and Wal-Mart to use the bathroom.

“The big holdup is on the materials,” Screws said. “Once I get the materials I can get enough help to get the work finished.”

Neighbors on Pat Lane describe Screws as a kind and generous man who has helped his neighbors.

“My mom knew Don more than 40 years,” said Mary Corrasco. “His mom lived with him for a long time and she used to baby sit me when I was little. He was a very nice man and helpful to everyone.”

Ms. Corrasco said Screws’ water well is shared by the whole neighborhood. The neighbors pitch in and help him with the expense of running it.

Larry Johnson said someone should contact Ty Pennington who hosts the TV program “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” The program features a team of professionals and neighbors who do months of work renovating a house for a deserving family in just seven days.

“He has done a lot for everyone else for many years,” Johnson said. “It’s time for others to give back to him. He’s a good man.”

Screws worries about the cats that inhabit his end of the block. He said he is desperate to find homes for them before it’s time to pour the slab.

“I’m worried about them being underfoot and getting run over and walking in the wet concrete,” he said. “These cats are not wild. They are tame and affectionate. They will knock you down for attention.”

Screws said most are grown kittens from this year’s crop and would make ideal Christmas gifts for children.

“Those cats love him,” Ms. Corrasco said. “They hear his truck pull up and they run right up to him.”

Trevino said that to make cash donations, call Karen Wheeler at Extraco Bank at 254-774-5500. Trevino may be reached at 254-718-9966 for materials donations.