The Opus Group Gives Back

On May 3rd, we partnered with volunteers from The Opus Group to provide repairs for two low-income homeowners and make repairs and improvements to the new facility of Every Third Saturday, a nonprofit organization focused on helping homeless and at-risk veterans. 

This year we helped Elizabeth, who loves her St. Paul Midway home and neighborhood, but needed some accessibility modifications to ensure her home is safe and she can age-in-place successfully. Her rear entry steps, off an existing deck, posed a serious fall hazard

and were the only access route to the garage and yard. We stabilized and reinforced Elizabeth’s back deck and built a low-rise, wide-step stair system with heavy duty railings.  In her thank you note, Elizabeth wrote, “I am so grateful to the wonderful volunteers from Opus!  Thank you for my beautiful and safe deck and stairs!”

In addition, we made repairs and improvements to the new facility of Every Third Saturday, a nonprofit founded in 2010 with the goal of helping homeless veterans by providing some of the most basic necessities, such as clothing, blankets, and toiletry items. Over the past eight years, Every Third Saturday has been the driving force behind an effort that has had a major impact on the lives of homeless veterans trying to survive in the harsh Minnesota weather. Every Third Saturday’s founders, Tom McKenna and his wife Jessie, also serve as advocates for veterans suffering from PTSD.

We are incredibly grateful for the support of The Opus Group and the hard work of their volunteers!  Together, we have made a meaningful difference for two homeowners in need and the veterans served by Every Third Saturday!

The Opus Group Gives Back

Rain and snow didn’t stop us from kicking off our 21st build season with volunteers from The Opus Group on April 20th to commemorate their Founders Day! With the support of The Opus Group, we were able to provide much-needed repairs to the homes of two low-income homeowners and establish a Garden Classroom and Learning area at the Maplewood Middle School.

We helped Mary Anne in Saint Paul, a grandmother who is currently providing housing for her daughter and five grandchildren. Mary Anne’s garage roof was damaged by storms and has been cited by the City for repair. We stripped the old shingles off of the garage and replaced them.

We also helped Diana, a senior veteran who lives with a disability in Minneapolis. We replaced all of the windows in the home with energy-efficient windows.

Finally, we established a Garden Classroom and Learning Area at the Maplewood Middle School, which is economically and racially-diverse with 53% of the school identifying as non-white and 63% of the students receiving free or reduced lunch. In addition, 13% of the students receive some type of special education. The school had space to establish a garden classroom that will provide hands-on learning opportunities to accompany their science curriculum. We landscaped, made improvements to the outdoor amphitheater, and created an open-air classroom.

We are incredibly grateful for the support of The Opus Group and the hard work of their volunteers! Together, we have made a meaningful difference for two homeowners in need and the students who attend Maplewood Middle School!

The Opus Group Makes a Difference on Founder’s Day

On Friday, April 21st, we partnered with volunteers from The Opus Group to provide much-needed home repairs for two South Minneapolis homeowners in need and make improvements to a charter school in East Saint Paul.

One of the homeowners we helped is Celeste, who moved into her South Minneapolis home in 1967 and raised her family there. Now a grandmother and widow (her husband was an Army veteran), Celeste remains an active member of the community in her golden years. She has taken on a leadership role within her church and volunteered many hours at Abbott Northwestern Hospital, until mobility issues forced her to step aside two years ago. These same mobility issues have prevented her from using the rear-entry steps to her backyard for over a year.  Volunteers from The Opus Group made accessibility modifications to the front and rear entries so Celeste can safely and independently come and go from her home and made several other repairs to her home.

We also helped Carolyn, who has lived in her South Minneapolis home for more than 20 years. A retired nurse, Carolyn now suffers from severe arthritis that has greatly limited her mobility. She loves her home, is surrounded by friendly neighbors, and is close to grocers, the library, and her church; however, getting around is a significant challenge. She has fallen in her home several times, and is now wheelchair-bound when going outside.  Volunteers from The Opus Group made accessibility modifications to the front and rear entries of Carolyn’s home, so she can leave her home independently; painted her kitchen walls and ceiling; installed new light fixtures; replaced storm windows; and replaced flooring in the living room and kitchen.

The Opus Group also made improvements at the Twin Cities Academy, a charter school located in East Saint Paul. Volunteers helped established a garden classroom on the site of the school, which will provide hands-on learning activities to accompany and enhance the science curriculum. Volunteers spent the day building and installing raised bed garden plots, an open-air classroom with benches, compost bins, walking paths, and arbors and trellises.

We are incredibly grateful for the support of The Opus Group and the hard work of their volunteers!  Together, we have made a meaningful difference for two homeowners in need and the students served by the Twin Cities Academy!

Rebuilding Together Twin Cities and The Opus Group Partner to Make a Difference for those in Need

On April 24th, Rebuilding Together Twin Cities partnered with volunteers from The Opus Group to provide critical repairs for three low-income homeowners in Saint Paul.  Volunteers also assisted students at the Farnsworth Aerospace PreK-8 School and made improvements to the building and grounds. These projects were part of a larger company-wide effort to commemorate Founder’s Day, which celebrates the origins of earlier Opus companies through volunteering.

Bill, one of the homeowners we assisted this year, has spent his life in the Saint Paul home his father built.  Bill was an ER medical assistant before he became blind in 1984 due to a hereditary condition. Despite his condition, Bill is very active and maintains a positive attitude towards life and others.  Volunteers from The Opus Group made a number of repairs to Bill’s home, including addressing the water that is seeping into Bill’s basement by sloping the ground away from the foundation and re-caulking the foundation seams with concrete.

This is the third year in a row that Opus and Rebuilding Together Twin Cities have partnered to make a difference for local families and communities in need. Thank you Opus Group!