Opus Ramp Team Builds Two More Ramps

This month, the Opus Ramp Team built a ramp for Jacqueline in Roseville. WCCO came out to film the ramp and put together a great piece about our work to help older adults and individuals living with a disability live more independently and how that work will be supported by the Hook, Line, & Shelter Fishing Tournament. You can check out that piece HERE.

In addition, the Opus Ramp Team and Lead Volunteer Chris Reiss built a ramp for Salley in May. They also fixed some paneling on the exterior of the home. The homeowner’s daughter wrote us this lovely thank you note, “I just wanted to thank you for fixing the paneling on our house. Also, my mom and I really appreciate the ramp. I’m able to get her outside in front, which is really nice (weather permitting). Also, we get a lot of compliments about the ramp.”

Thank you to the Ramp Team volunteers and Chris for two more life-changing projects!

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 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!

Partnering with The Opus Group to Revitalize South Minneapolis Community

Rebuilding Together Twin Cities recently partnered with more than 60 volunteers from The Opus Group to make a big impact on a South Minneapolis community.  Volunteers repaired four homes in South Minneapolis, including the homes of a proud grandmother who needed accessibility and safety modifications to age-in-place safely in her home and a single mother whose son has Asperger’s syndrome.  The repairs provided by The Opus Group will ensure that these three families can live independently in safe and healthy homes.

Volunteers also made improvements to the Andersen United Community School, a diverse, thriving Pre K-8 that serves 1,280 students.  The School also provides bilingual literacy programs in Spanish and Somali, offers evening and Saturday programming for students and families and serves as the south side site for the Minneapolis Family Resource Center.  Volunteers painted murals showing school values; provided support in the Media Center; assisted teachers in classrooms; worked in the Andersen Community Garden; and beautified the playground and basketball court.

“We have a long history of volunteerism and service at The Opus Group. It is a core value of our organization,” said Tim Murnane, president and chief executive officer, Opus Holding, L.L.C. “Giving back to the community and building is what we know and we are happy to continue our partnership with Rebuilding Together and lend our skills and talents to this important mission.”

Thanks again to everyone from The Opus Group who came together to help four families in need and the Andersen United Community School!  Together, we have made a meaningful difference for this community.