The Opus Group Gives Back

On Friday, April 22nd, we partnered with volunteers from The Opus Group to provide repairs for three low-income homeowners and needed renovations to the Boys and Girls Club.

One of the homeowners we helped was Carter, who has lived in his home for 59 years. In 2008 while training for the World Masters Track Championship in Paris, Carter suffered a massive heart attack. It left him deprived of oxygen for 10 minutes. This caused significant motor impairments and speech difficulties. He now uses a rolling walker and has multiple grab bars placed throughout his home to ensure safety in areas where his rolling walker is not accessible. Carter gets out in the community whenever he can, and he looks forward to continuing to be active in his home and community. Volunteers worked on constructing a ramp, painted several rooms, and organized the basement. We also provided several contractor-delivered repairs to Carter’s home, including installing a new electrical box, mast, track/task lighting, motion light and flat surface non-open flame electric stove.

Volunteers also made repairs for Erskine and Beverly, who raised 13 children in their home.  Beverly and Erskine are retired, active in their church and frequently take care of their grandchildren.  They both have medical issues that prevent them from moving around easily, and their home needed several repairs and modifications so they can remain in their home for years to come. Volunteers worked to rebuild basement steps, build low-rise steps, paint the interior, seal the foundation, and clean-up vines in the gutters.  We were also able to repair plumbing at the home.

In addition, we helped Yvonne and Charles, who built their Saint Paul home in 1986. They love their home and are proud of the fact that they have made their own modifications. However, they needed help preparing for Yvonne’s mother, who will be moving into the home in the spring. Yvonne’s mother is an amputee and uses a motorized wheelchair. Volunteers worked to construct a wheelchair ramp, repair siding, and started to convert their tub into a walk-in shower.

Finally, volunteers provided needed renovations to the Boys and Girls Club, including painting the gym, redesigning and decorating the Discovery Room and recarpeting the Teen Room.

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 three families in need and the youth served by the Boys and Girls Club.

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!

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.