Date: Fri 09-May-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

AmeriCares-Homefront-KofC

Full Text:

Taking On Home Repairs And The Weather On Homefront Day

B Y S TEVE B IGHAM

Last Saturday's rain wasn't nearly enough to stop a handful of Newtown

residents from helping out their fellow man.

The volunteers had already committed themselves to AmeriCares 10th annual

Homefront Day, a one-day "repair blitz" created to help homeowners who are

physically or financially unable to help themselves remain warm, safe and dry

in their homes.

Much like the volunteers for barn raisings of old, St Rose Church's Knights of

Columbus converged on a small home on Alpine Drive in the Riverside community.

There, about 20 soaking wet volunteers repaired the roof and renovated parts

of the interior, stripping walls and putting up sheet rock, replacing floors,

etc.

As the Knight's Mark Dennen pointed out, the rain actually helped the workers

find leaks in the roof, many of which were patched up.

"Fifteen guys doing about six hours worth of work, that's a couple of weeks of

work for two guys," he said.

The Knights of Columbus was founded years ago because no one would sell life

insurance to the Irish, according to Mr Dennen. The organization was formed by

Irish people looking to help out each other. Its primary focus was charity.

"I think the guys like doing this, and they get a lot of pleasure out of it

because they feel like they're contributing," Mr Dennen said.

As for the high school students from the St Rose youth group, "I think it

imprints on them that they also have a responsibility to help others," he

said.

On the other side of town, volunteers from Trinity Church braved the rain to

revitalize a home on Dogwood Terrace. Among the work done was the construction

of a porch in the rear of the house. Students from the church's youth group

successfully cleaned out the cellar.

"We got more done than we expected," said Bill Kimball. "We started at 7 am

and finally wound down around 5:30 pm. Because of the rain we weren't able to

get the painting done, but a group is going back this Saturday to finish

that."

Mr Kimball said volunteers from Trinity Church have been involved in the

AmeriCares program for several years. They do it simply to help others.

"That's what the whole thing is about. It gives you a good feeling," he said.

According to AmeriCares, 79 repair projects took place throughout Connecticut

and Westchester and Putnam Counties, New York. The work culminates a year-long

effort by HomeFront to bring caring and hope to low income, elderly, or

single-parent families by helping them to remain in their homes.

AmeriCares HomeFront locates and interviews homeowners in need, procures

donated supplies and services, obtains financial support and recruits

professionals and volunteer teams to undertake renovation work on HomeFront

Day. Sponsored teams provided painting, carpentry, plumbing, electrical work,

yard clean-up and other services at no cost to the homeowners. These building

supply and service donations put the average value of each renovation project

at $12,850 per $2,580 cash invested, according to AmeriCares.

The AmeriCares Foundation, founded by Robert C. Macauley in 1982, says its

operating overhead is less than two percent and has been rated by MONEY

Magazine as the most cost-effective charity in the US AmeriCares consistently

responds to various emergency needs and supports long-term health care

programs in the US and 109 other countries.

The AmeriCares HomeFront program has completed 1,023 renovation projects since

its start in 1988, when 15 homes in South Norwalk were revitalized.