Collaborating to Help a Veteran in Need

We recently helped Mark, a Minnetonka veteran of the Marine Corps, with repairs to his home.  During his time with the Marine’s, Mark received several awards, including the Rifle Sharpshooter Badge, National Defense Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal (twice), and a Letter of Appreciation.  While serving in the Marines, Mark was a cook and pastry chef and was quite passionate about it. 

Mark has lived in his home for 30 years. Built in the early 1900s, the home has experienced some issues over the years that would create large structural problems should they be ignored. Not only did the basement still have dirt floors, but the last roofing replacement took place approximately 20 years ago. Wear and tear from over the years was causing rainwater to leak into his single-car garage and inside the walls of his home.

We partnered with Capital Construction, GAF-Roofing, and HUD’s Veteran Home Modification and Repair Pilot Program to repair Mark’s roof, replace an unsealed basement window, reinforce the basement walls, and completely seal his basement.  These repairs will ensure Mark’s home is safe and healthy for years to come.

Check out the blog post by Capital Construction here to learn more about this project.

Windom Rebuilding Day Was a Huge Success!

On September 23rd, we hosted 10 volunteers to provide repairs for two homeowners in need in Windom for our 2023 Cottonwood County Rebuilding Day!

We supported Joette’s independence and mobility in her home by installing safety grab bars, rebuilding her front porch handrail and steps, adding carbon monoxide and smoke detectors, and installing a new screen door for the 65-year-old. We also helped Ray, who is 78 years old and struggles with back pain, by installing flooring, moving his laundry room to the main floor for easier access, cleaning up his yard, and improving his deck.

We are very grateful to our volunteers and also to our sponsors, including the Southwest Initiative Foundation, Odell Wind Farm, Thrivent and HyVee.

Joette said of our work, “It feels wonderful that there are so many caring people out there that’ll come and help out a person. They’re doing wonderful, I can’t thank them enough.”

Wells Fargo Volunteers Put Together Safe at Home Kits

We hosted another incredible group of volunteers from Wells Fargo who put together Safe at Home Kits! The kits include a smoke detector, carbon monoxide detector, no-slip bath treads, dawn to dusk light bulbs and nightlights, grabbers, mini-flash light, batteries, kitchen fire extinguisher, reusable masks, sanitizing wipes, and an application for Safe at Home services. These kits provide an entry level of service for older adults who may be more difficult to serve either because of reluctance to ask for help, language or cultural barriers, concerns about COVID-19, etc. Our Safe at Home kits have a direct and immediate positive impact on the low-income older adults we serve. They also foster trust and raise awareness which will lead many of the homeowners to ask for additional help needed to remain safely and independently in their own homes. We are very grateful to Wells Fargo for providing funding and volunteers to support this initiative!

Republic Services Helps Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center

We were thrilled to partner with volunteers from Republic Services to make improvements to the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center (MIWRC)! On October 13th and 14th, Republic Services provided both volunteers and a grant for this project through their Neighborhood Promise Program.

MIWRC is a nonprofit social and mental health services organization committed to traditional ways of being and support of Native women and their families. Beverly Bushyhead (Eastern Band of Cherokees), Interim CEO/President of MIWRC, said “It’s exciting to see the facelift and how warming to know lives touched by the work at MIWRC last for the long haul! Thank you! The group did a fantastic job! What an awesome feeling to be connected to such service generosity!”

Check out coverage of this project.

We are grateful for the support of Republic Services and their dedication to helping individuals, organizations, and neighborhoods in need in the Twin Cities!