As about two dozen strangers shared a lunchtime break under the sun at her Morgan Hill home Saturday, 74-year-old retiree Bernice Lawrence could not be more grateful to her guests.
That’s because they made up the volunteer workforce from Charter Communications, who were midway through their Aug. 6 home renovation project at Lawrence’s mobile home in the Woodland Estates senior community.
“I can’t believe the kindness and goodness of these people. Some traveled a great distance to be here and they don’t even know me,” said Lawrence. “They are so generous. This is just wonderful.”
Lawrence, who volunteers at the Morgan Hill Senior Center where she learned of the program, has lived at her Leisure Drive home for more than a decade. But with all her immediate family living back in her native Michigan, the senior citizen on a fixed income couldn’t keep up with needed repairs on her residence.
That’s where the national cable company’s philanthropic initiative, Charter Our Community, came into play and partnered with nonprofit Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley to help the Morgan Hill homeowner. The program’s goal is to improve 25,000 homes by 2020.
“We know the importance of a safe and healthy home and want to do what we can to help others in the communities in which we live and work,” said Wally Bakare, Charter’s area vice president who was out helping Saturday.
After Lawrence was selected through an application process, Charter employees, along with any family members and friends willing to lend a hand, arrived at her home on a mission to make it as safe as possible. An applicant must be on a fixed income and at 80 percent or less of the median household income for the area.
“She fit with our mission of keeping people warm and safe in their home,” said Deanne Everton, program manager for Rebuilding Together who helped coordinate Saturday’s effort. “It’s going great. We’ve had great weather. It was a really cool morning. We have a great group of volunteers.”
They installed a grab bar, shower head and sliding door in the shower, an elevated toilet in the bathroom, put in new steps and a secured railing outside, resurfaced some uneven walkways along the property, repainted the exterior of the home, and put in a new back gate and fence to keep Lawrence’s two chihuahuas from getting out.“We’ve done some critical home repairs mostly focused on safety,” said Brett Picciolo, Northwest Regional Communications Director with Charter who also rolled up his sleeves to help with Saturday’s repairs.
By mid-day, the 23 volunteers had accomplished a lot of their to-do list—more than any other, according to Everton—and were about to finish up the fresh coat of paint and trim on Lawrence’s home.
“The reaction of the homeowner is a bonus. Bernice has been great. She’s very appreciative,” Everton said. “It’s a sense of accomplishment to make a real difference in someone’s life.”
Rebuilding Together works with companies such as Charter to help with funding and manpower for the free home repairs, along with acquiring additional monies through the Community Development Block Grant Program and Santa Clara County, according to Everton.
It fit right in with Charter’s national initiative to provide critical home repairs, accessibility modifications, and safety and energy-efficient upgrades to strengthen communities.
“I’m flabbergasted. This is incredible,” said Lawrence after making a point to thank and chat with as many of the volunteers as she could throughout the day. “They have gone above and beyond.”
Lawrence said volunteers even fixed the handles on her new refrigerator that were put on upside down when it was installed.
“For this type of major work, I wouldn’t have been able to afford it,” she added. “I am overwhelmed.”
Charter’s program is anchored by an online hub that features inspirational stories that will help people maintain safe and healthy homes. Since launching in late 2014, the program has helped improve more than 5,200 homes.
To learn more about Charter our Community, visit CharterOurCommunity.com
