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April 4, 2009
Helping Hands Are Multiplying in Brookfield
By: Alice Tessier
04/03/2009
A single mother of two is getting help from the community to improve her family's living conditions, and the experience is so uplifting that she wants her family to continue to be involved "in the process" that improves people's lives.
The Brookfield family's home has been selected for a makeover, according to Peter Brady, the fellow resident who is organizing the annual project, which was first undertaken last year. Mr. Brady, who is retired from Nestles in New Milford, volunteers his time throughout the year through Handy Dandy Handyman (HDHM), an outreach ministry of his church, to do home repairs for people needing assistance.
(Boss Man Pete Brady paints the sky blue)
What began as a Brookfield program in 2000 has grown over the years to include other communities in the Greater Danbury area, in terms of both households receiving assistance and volunteers who contribute their time and effort. For example, more than 1,000 volunteers turn out in the fall for the annual Rake 'n' Bake project-the volunteers rake leaves and do general yard work and the householders bake something to share at the picnic at the conclusion of the work. And last year HDHM undertook its first home makeover, at a residence in New Milford.
"Donna was a Rake 'n' Bake client for four years, so we knew her house and the fact that it was in disrepair," said Mr. Brady in a recent interview. "It's more than she can do to take care of what it needs," he said.
She works five full days a week, and picks up extra time on weekends whenever possible, at Keogh's Paint & Hardware in Ridgefield. Her parents in Redding help her when the children-son Tre, 13, and daughter Lauryn, 9-get off the bus in Brookfield and take them to sports, religion classes and extracurricular events, and they also help out her only sister, who is blind and also diabetic so she is on dialysis three days a week. "On an everyday basis, they are a godsend," said Ms. Gause, who grew up in Redding and has been living in Brookfield about 11 years.
(John Mangold and Alan Smith, owner of Smith Brothers Construction Co. install one of 15 new windows)
Mr. Brady anticipated that the makeover project would kick off in March and be completed by May, but since the downturn in the economy has resulted in a lull in the construction business contractors who volunteer with HDHM said they were ready to tackle the renovation earlier.
"I was phenomenally surprised to find out that they were going to help us," said Donna Robinson Gause in an interview Wednesday. "We were very excited and very proud. It was more than I could do [in] cleaning up the property and fixing up the house."
The makeover, she added, is "definitely a boost to our morale as well as gives us, and each of us, a new beginning. It has in a lot of ways saved our quality of life, and especially for saving that for my children I am very, very grateful."
(Boss Man Pete Brady thanks Jim Beardsley, owner of Beardsley Plumbing Co. for all his efforts. Jim was one of 36 tradesmen who volunteered their time on this project)
The ambitious makeover project includes putting in a new roof, 14 new windows, and new gutters; replacing the deck; installing a new driveway, installing a new garage door; and landscaping-and that's just on the outside. Inside the Birch Road residence; it includes gutting and creating a totally new bathroom; remodeling the kitchen and renovating the three bedrooms, and refinishing the floors. Also, the house is being painted inside and out.
Tuesday was "the big day for the painters," working outside, Mr. Brady said, adding that while the labor that has gone toward the makeover is largely free, HDHM must pay for materials, although some costs are discounted.
As of this week, $5,000 is needed to complete the project. Anyone who would like to make a monetary donation, which is tax-deductible, to the makeover fund may send a check, made payable to HDHM Ministry, to Peter Brady, 26 Shamrock Drive, Brookfield, CT 06804. He asks that "home makeover" be indicated on the memo section of the check so that the money will go toward this project rather than any of the others the ministry has in the works.
(Joe Lasky, owner of Two Brothers Tree Service flying high in bucket truck removing 3 large trees from property while ground crew of volunteers pick up the pieces)
The contractors participating in the project are as follows: New Milford: Alterations Plus, John Kitchens; Bethel: Rings End Lumber, Dave Rohr; Phil LoPresti Carting Co., Phil LoPresti; Brookfield: Smith Brothers Construction Inc., Alan Smith; Fusco Landscaping, Shane Fusco; MRM Excavating Services, Mike Murphy; Saugatuck Forest Products, Derek Smith; Denna Computer Services, Nancy Lavoie; A&J Construction Paving, Ray Boa; Aiello Roofing Co., Kenny Aiello; Beardsley Plumbing, Jim Beardsley; Brookfield Overhead Door, Mark Hunihan; Random Tasks Co., Dan Melillo; GMH Construction, Glen Higgins; Vision Kitchens, Ron Masciarelli; Sunset Tree Service, Derrick Goodrow; Sherwin-Williams Paint, Ryan Andrews; Tom's Ornamental Iron Works, Thomas LaBarbera; GEM Snow Plowing, Jeff Moxham; Lew White Appliances, Rick Zucca; Brite Star Seamless Gutters, John Gereg IV; Broadmeyer Co., Mark Broadmeyer; Handyman Services, Peter McPadden; JMG Lawn Services, Joe Genovese; Two Brothers Tree Service, Joe Lasky; Bob's Discount Furniture, Bob; New England Party Rentals, Peter Muckell; Lakeview Home Repair, Brian Urso; Electrical Services, Dan Clarke; Carmel, N.Y.: CMC Bookkeeping, Cathy Colman; Danbury: EMA Electric LLC, Henry Augusewicz; Home Depot Store, John Surreira; Lowe's Store, Brett Weymouth; Redding: D. Smith Interior Designs, Donna Smith; Ridgefield: Keough's Paint & Hardware, Bill Keough; Growing Solutions, Chris Baliko; Monroe: Sippin Energy Products, Joe Rajcula; and Newtown: Red Baron Carpet, Bruce Bereton.
The Handy Dandy Handyman Ministry, which originated at St. Joseph Church in Brookfield, is now an established 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that serves more than 300 clients.
New deck completed compliments of Glenn Higgins, (Center) owner of GMH Construction Co. while volunteers Tom Mayer (left) and Matt DiCarlo (right) lend assistance
Mr. Brady, who is the recipient of local, regional and state awards for his volunteerism-including Brookfield Rotary Club's Volunteer of the Year and i95 Radio's Man of the Year awards in 2000; Gov. M. Jodi Rell's state Treasures Award in 2002; Regional YMCA's People of Distinction Award in 2003 and Volunteer of the Year in 2006; Knights of Columbus' Knight of Year in Connecticut in 2004; American Red Cross of Western Connecticut's Good Samaritan Award, United Way's Encouraging Community Service Involvement Award, and Rotary Foundation of Rotary International's Paul Harris Fellow Award (for "service above self") in 2006.
Although he has been singled out for these awards, Mr. Brady stresses that "many hands" make the outreach projects a success. "When people hear about what we do, they often say, 'How can I help?' That's how we've grown, by word of mouth," he said.
"We love what we do, and we'll keep on doing it," the HDHM founder said in a previous interview, noting that the camaraderie the volunteers share lighten the burden of the work, whose completion is its own reward.
Ms. Gause said, "When Mr. Brady asked us for our help, we were happy to take direction from him. It was a great feeling to see all these people in the community come together to help us, and it's given us a new outlook. It's spiritually very uplifting. We're now part of something that's bigger than ourselves. We're part of this process, and I feel absolutely certain that we'll continue to be a part for a long, long time so that other people too can get the help they need."
The contractors participating in the project are as follows:
New Milford:
Alterations Plus, John Kitchens
Bethel: Rings End Lumber, Dave Rohr
Phil LoPresti Carting Co., Phil LoPresti
Brookfield:
Smith Brothers Construction Inc., Alan Smith
Fusco Landscaping, Shane Fusco
MRM Excavating Services, Mike Murphy
Saugatuck Forest Products, Derek Smith
Denna Computer Services, Nancy Lavoie
A&J Construction Paving, Ray Boa
Aiello Roofing Co., Kenny Aiello
Beardsley Plumbing, Jim Beardsley
Brookfield Overhead Door, Mark Hunihan
Random Tasks Co., Dan Melillo
GMH Construction, Glen Higgins
Vision Kitchens, Ron Masciarelli
Sunset Tree Service, Derrick Goodrow
Sherwin-Williams Paint, Ryan Andrews
Tom's Ornamental Iron Works, Thomas LaBarbera
GEM Snow Plowing, Jeff Moxham
Lew White Appliances, Rick Zucca
Brite Star Seamless Gutters, John Gereg IV
Broadmeyer Co., Mark Broadmeyer
Handyman Services, Peter McPadden
JMG Lawn Services, Joe Genovese
Two Brothers Tree Service, Joe Lasky
Bob's Discount Furniture, Bob
New England Party Rentals, Peter Muckell
Lakeview Home Repair, Brian Urso
Electrical Services, Dan Clarke
Carmel, N.Y.:
CMC Bookkeeping, Cathy Colman
Danbury:
EMA Electric LLC, Henry Augusewicz
Home Depot Store, John Surreira
Lowe's Store, Brett Weymouth
Redding:
D. Smith Interior Designs, Donna Smith
Ridgefield:
Keough's Paint & Hardware, Bill Keough
Growing Solutions, Chris Baliko
Monroe:
Sippin Energy Products, Joe Rajcula
Newtown:
Red Baron Carpet, Bruce Bereton.
Posted by hdhm at 7:41 PM