Volunteer Spotlight: Mariette Cole

Mariette Cole first volunteered with us in 2008, a week before her second hip replacement.  A month after that surgery, she arrived at the three-story Victorian house we were repairing on crutches and sat on a scaffold to paint at waist level.   She painted all summer, putting in more than 100 hours on that project.   She’s been an invaluable member of our team ever since.

Over the years, Mariette has worked on many things for us – everything from being a project leader to serving on committees to working in the office to finishing up projects.  She is our “go to” person for detail painting and Safe at Home program, which provides safety and accessibility modifications for low-income homeowners.  This includes training other volunteers on how to properly install grab bars, staining and sealing interior handrails, and organizing our Safe at Home kits.  She also currently handles a lot of the behind-the-scenes work for our projects, including putting together painting kits, wall repair kits, first aid kits, safety kits, tool kits and Safe at Home kits, all of which have made us more efficient.

Mariette is extremely energetic, passionate and determined.  She is frequently the first volunteer to show up and the last one to leave, and has tackled some very challenging projects for us over the years. Mariette is great with our homeowners and is extremely sensitive to their needs.  She goes out of her way to make sure they are comfortable and pleased with our services.  Through her own experiences, Mariette says she understands the challenges that many of our homeowners face in being able to live independently and safely in their homes.  She has said of volunteering, “I give back because there is so much need, and I am fortunate enough to be able to help.”

As of June 2013, Mariette has volunteered 1,945 hours of her time on 169 projects.  She’s an integral part of our team and we couldn’t do what we do without her.  THANK YOU Mariette for all you do to help us help homeowners and communities in need!