On June 24th, we partnered with volunteers from the Saint Paul Association of REALTORS to help John, a veteran in Saint Paul. John has spent his whole life serving others, and we are thrilled to be able to help him with much-needed repairs. We appreciate the hard work and continued support of the Saint Paul Association of REALTORS! Be sure to click here to check out the coverage we received on KSTP – Channel 5 about this project.
For a Marine who has served three combat tours in Iraq, how can he truly feel at home after combat if his house is literally crumbling around him?
Jason is a Marine who has given everything his country has asked. He enlisted after 9/11, fighting in some of the bloodiest battles of the Iraqi War including the Battles of Nasiriyah and Fallujah. He was there to protect the peace when Iraq had its first ever democratic election, and he deployed for Hurricane Katrina when his countrymen were flooded and in need.
Jason’s story doesn’t end there. His wife Genella used to be a college professor, but she suffered major complications after her last pregnancy requiring 42 surgeries. Now with Crohn’s Disease, she has to eat out of a gastric feeding tube. Her retirement savings were quickly eaten up by medical bills, and the loss of income financially squeezed the family.
Jason earns a modest military income, however, all too often, Marines like Jason give up their futures to keep us safe and free. While Jason was busy being deployed, his peers were gaining skills for civilian life which allowed them to out-compete him for most jobs. With the wars of the past 13 years in Iraq and Afghanistan coming to a close, Jason and his family are an economic casualty in the transition to peace.
At some point, ‘thank you for your service’ is just not enough. Instead of thanking him, we need to do something tangible. Get personally involved. We need to make our ‘thank you’ action-oriented. Learn more about Jason and his family and how you can help on BarnRaisings. We need to raise $8,500 by August 1st, so please donate today!
Catholic Heart Workcamp – Completed the Wieda Park basketball court project and maintenance on a ramp.
Mariette Cole, Wesley Anderson & Stephen Ivancic – Our incredible Safe at Home team. AmeriCorps member Chris Lyle said of this team, “Their quality of work is beyond expectations and they are absolutely wonderful people.”
Mounds Park United Methodist Church Urban CROSS Program – These awesome volunteers installed safety modifications to help homeowners stay safe and secure in their homes.
TechDump Event – Thank you again to everyone who donated their old electronics at our TechDump event last month! The proceeds from this event will help homeowners in need in our community.
On June 17th, volunteers from MidCountry Bank descended on the home of a veteran in Saint Paul to provide critical repairs to his home. Volunteers replaced the lower kitchen cabinets and painted all of the ceilings and walls in the first floor. They also repaired drywall where the plumber had to open the wall for the plumbing repairs. We truly appreciate the support of MidCountry Bank and the hard work of their employee-volunteers each year. They have been supporting our efforts to help revitalize homes and communities in the Twin Cities for ten years. Thank you!
