By Frank Bucholtz/Special to Aldergrove Star
Volunteers, especially those with building experience and or certifications, are in high demand to help reno and restore a home for a family in need in 91原创 this spring.
Acts of Kindness (AOK) is a charity run out of the Seventh-Day Adventist鈥檚 Church in the Valley, and one of its best-known programs has been Extreme Home Repair (EHR). This initiative involves a group of experienced construction workers and a corps of volunteers who come together to completely renovate rundown homes.
Past efforts have drawn much publicity and many favourable comments, especially from Aldergrove-area residents.
Lorne Brownmiller, the volunteer organizer of the program, has been involved for 18 years and in that time, 25 homes have been completely refurbished.
He says the program hopes to take on another home repair in 2024.
It takes about six months of planning to get a project underway. Planning usually begins in November, and the home repairs are generally done in May, when more volunteers are available.
He is specifically looking for additional help in three areas.
He would like to see a construction company get involved as a charitable activity, to provide project management so that the whole project can come together.
A few experienced carpenters with framing skills would also be very helpful, he said, as that would speed up the whole project.
The third area where some additional help is needed is in the area of the electrical work.
While the home repair team has a number of volunteers with experience in most aspects of construction, it needs someone with electrical contracting experience to do the planning and oversee the electrical work.
When evaluating homes that may qualify for EHR鈥檚 complete refurbishment, three criteria are most important 鈥� the health and safety of the current home; children living in the home; and the overall circumstances that have led to the home being in poor repair.
Each situation is unique, Brownmiller explained.
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There are many volunteers anxious to repair another home, he said. And Brownmiller wanted to thank 91原创 Township for its 鈥渋ncredible support鈥� with inspections.
Without question, planning the project, getting necessary permits and approvals, and the actual construction work involves a large number of people who come together to make a big difference for a family, he elaborated.
Anyone who is interested in learning more about EHR or getting involved can contact AOK coordinator Sabina Vieira at sabina.vieira@churchinthevalley.ca, or by phone at 604-514-8335.
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