Home Repairs
with
Christmas in Action
(In the past this was called
“Christmas in April” and then "Rebuilding
Together" and, now, Christmas in Action of
Southeast Michigan, Inc. )
Washtenaw County, Michigan
Saturday, April 30, 2011,
the last Saturday in April each year.
It is a one-day program of home repair in
Ann Arbor
for a homeowner who is a low-income, elderly
person.
Professionals will be on hand to guide and instruct us volunteers.
There are actually two volunteer opportunities
for all parishioners (even middle schoolers) in April. Please allow
me to elaborate.
Our annual Christmas in Action (CIA)
"Day of Action" Saturday April 30th - repairing/cleaning a home.
We do not have an exact location for the St. Francis home yet since we,
the Christmas in Action board, as well as, a St. Francis parishioner, are
still evaluating candidate homes.
Teens are welcome with or without their parents
to this event with the right forms Minor-Release.pdf.
We've had St. Francis middle schoolers 4 or 5 years now.
A second opportunity this year is to prepare
meals for all the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Day of Action volunteers (approx
200) on Friday night April 29th.
from 6-8pm at the St. Francis Parish Activities Center Kitchen.
The work would involve making sandwiches (or whatever
is determined to be most appropriate remembering that the meals are eaten
on the "job site") and gathering all the other items (plates,napkins, fruit,
drinks, bagels, whatever else) into 10 or so packages (the number of homes)
so that a volunteer can pick up the items Saturday morning and proceed
to their CIA homes and concentrate on work tasks vs. food prep.
This would be a TREMENDOUS help to the Christmas in Action efforts this
year.
To participate, submit
this form, or, Contact:
Scott
Wright (734-821-2121)
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Only TEENAGERS who come to help WITHOUT their parents
must complete & bring the “minor
release consent form” – the purpose of the form is to provide the ability
to perform emergency medical treatment if a parent is not there. The
form is in a PDF here: Minor-Release.pdf
If you want to help but don't want to get your hands dirty, volunteer
to pick-up and deliver the food at lunchtime.
To help with funds for the home repair expenses please make your
donation check out to: “St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church” and
note for “Christmas in ACTION”. Mail it to: St. Francis of
Assisi Catholic Church, Parish Social Ministry Office, 2150 Frieze Ave.,
Ann Arbor, MI 48104.
To participate, submit
this form, or, Contact:
Scott Wright (734-821-2121)
Our St. Francis TEAM Leader is: Brian O'Neil
(734-883-3133)
On the last Saturday of April
each year...
Help revitalize a house in our community. The homeowner selection
process gives priority to low-income, elderly persons who cannot maintain
their home on their own and have no family members available to help them.
When you volunteer with the "Christmas in ACTION" effort you are committing
to serve for just one day, at just one house with about 25 other awesome
volunteers here in Washtenaw County. Invite your friends, family
members, co-workers, neighbors (you get the idea).
To participate, submit
this form, or, Contact:
Scott
Wright (734-821-2121)
If you wish to help, at this point there are
two avenues - volunteering and monetary donations.
About 400 volunteers will be a part of the work
on the last Saturday of April. Others will help in the many preparations
that must be done before 'the day'.
If you might have dollars to donate, they will
be used to buy materials. Some materials will be donated, but some are
very specific and need to be purchased. Some materials are sold at very
low prices, but do need to be paid for.
Leadership?
You are invited to simply help on the day of the event, or, you are
also welcome to serve in some leadership capacity:
-
as a House Captain (This will require 10-20 hours of work before
the Christmas in April day) or,
-
as House Leader (This will require 5-10 hours of work before the
Christmas in April Day) as a Committee member, or,
-
as a helper to review houses for selection please call early
in
March.
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This home repair program
is a great service and helps many people. It is always a surprise to see
so many homes in such bad repair, but, never a surprise to know how many
people there are who are eager to help when they hear of peoples' distress.
Current home owner referral forms are on the website.
(Click on 'forms and publications'.
Make as many as you need, distribute as many as you can and send them to
the correct address on the right.)
The Ann Arbor chapter and the Ypsilanti
chapter merged together in 2007.
You can help identify homes which need attention
in the Ann Arbor area.
Each yera the application deadline is the end
of February, and, we visit all the homes to make certain the applicants
understand the process.
Soon after that visit we will visit again to closely
examine the work to be done.
Almost all of the work will be to address health
and safety issues. For example, kitchen linoleum is replaced when it curls
and becomes a tripping hazard. Stair railings are installed or tightened.
Quite a bit of weatherization is done, to cut down on drafty homes and
high heat bills. You might be surprised at the number of toilets about
to fall to the floor below because of leaks which cause the floor wood
to rot and soften. Plumbing and electrical work is done and many roofs
are patched or redone. It is very remarkable.
To participate, submit
this form, or, Contact:
Scott
Wright (734-821-2121)
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