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WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS
Local Non-Profits Partner Restore Home for Family

Jeannette’s journey started when several area non-profit leaders and volunteers, armed with flashlights and tape measures gathered at this vacant, darkened and neglected townhome on a chilly, rainy early March evening. Catholics for Housing and its Executive Director, Karen DeVito, had recently purchased this home using funds granted through the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program grant.

Teaming with several local non-profit organizations, including Project Mend-A-House, the Northern Virginia Fuller Center for Housing, Northern Virginia Family Services and the Dale City Volunteer Fire Department Foundation, Karen formed the Greater Prince William Housing Consortium last year. The Consortium received a $1,500,000 grant and has committed to renovating ten homes by September 2010, some of the which will be renovated using an all-volunteer work force and material donations and then reselling them to income-eligible residents. The Morin family is the proud owner of the first of these renovated homes.

“The Consortium is committed to making a difference in the lives of families in need of hope,” stated Ms. DeVito during a May 3rd Open House, “But our success was and always will be predicated on the hard work of the volunteers from our partnering organizations like Project Mend-A-House and the Fuller Center.”

Indeed, representatives from these two organizations - Jacob Koch and Peter Salemme from the Fuller Center and Andrea Saccoccia and Bill Okuly from Project Mend-A-House - spent that chilly March evening assessing the magnitude and dividing the responsibilities of required repairs and home make-overs of this townhome. Their goal was to complete all repairs by the closing date. During the ensuing two months, led by the Consortium’s Rehabilitation Specialist, Rod Caulkins and Bill Gooding, Partners Building Home president who graciously volunteered to be the contractor, these two non-profit organizations invested nearly 900 volunteer hours into renovating the townhome.

The Project Mend-A-House team was led by Scott Sells and Brian Henkel and also included Dean Quick, Laurie Zeiszler, Ray Stuckey, Howard Horner and several others. They first focused their attention on repairing or replacing the townhome’s neglected drywall. During that process, the team discovered many leaks throughout the home – from a leaking drain pipe in the upstairs tub and shower to leaking pipe valves to the leaking roof – which only increased the magnitude of required drywall repairs. Supplemented by volunteer teams from local congregations such as St. Francis of Assisi, Potomac Crest Baptist Church and First Mt. Zion Baptist Church, the Fuller Center then painted out the entire home giving it a completely new look and feel. “I think the number of leaks that we discovered caught us all by surprise and could have jeopardized our ability to finish the project on time,” stated Mr. Sells, “However, thanks to the relentless dedication and pursuit of excellence that our volunteers displayed, we were not deterred.”

The Project Mend-A-House volunteers then turned to completing other aspects of the project. They replaced one of the upstairs tubs and repaired the other tub and replaced several sink faucets. They installed new flooring in all four bathrooms and the laundry room. The volunteers also replaced the front door and all rotten wood in the front windows, replaced interior doors, a broken kitchen window and installed all new electric outlets. They also replaced several pieces of deck lumber, including deck railing and steps, and relocated deck rails that were too close to a fireplace exhaust.

Meanwhile, volunteers from the Fuller Center replaced the kitchen cabinets, countertops and floors and installed all new kitchen appliances and they increased the amount of attic insulation.
“The amount of work that our volunteers took on was incredible, probably the biggest project we have ever taken on,” commented Ms. Saccoccia. “It’s an absolute credit to all of the volunteers, from Project Mend-A-House, Fuller Center and all of our partners and friends, that all the work was completed and meeting the highest of quality standards.”

With only days to go to closing, the townhome still resembled more of a construction zone than a house that was ready to be moved into. However, confident that the teams would complete the work, Karen scheduled an Open House on May 3 to formally present the townhome to the Morin family. On the morning of May 3, Project Mend-A-House volunteers were still seen vacuuming and shampooing the rugs and removing the last of the construction debris.

But when the big moment came, the newly renovated townhome sparkled like the crown jewel in the neighborhood that it had become. Jeannette Morin, a science teacher at Bishop O’Connell High School, and her children were ecstatic at the beauty of their soon-to-be new home and the dreams that the volunteers’ hard work had made possible. Like all families on the verge of owning a new home, they quickly decided on who would sleep in what bedroom. Christine, the eldest child, a freshman at the Northern Virginia Community College with aspirations to be a creative writer would get the upstairs bedroom as would her younger sister Rachel. Ron, soon to graduate from Bishop O’Connell and accepted into George Mason University’s engineering program and J.T., a freshman at Bishop O’Connell High School and electrical engineering and musical buff, would share the downstairs bedroom. Yet to be adjudicated would be so many other decisions – how to arrange the dining room furniture, where to place the television, who would use what bathrooms, and so forth. All these decision were made possible because one lady, Karen DeVito, had a vision for how to make possible the dream of home ownership for all residents, irrespective of income, and by non-profit organizations like Project Mend-A-House and the Fuller Center whose volunteers brought to reality both Karen’s vision and Jeannette and the Morin’s family’s dream of owning their own home.

“I can’t thank Karen DeVito and the volunteers from Project Mend-A-House and the Fuller Center for all that you have done,” stated Jeannette, “You have given my family and me an opportunity to own our own home - so much hope, it’s a dream come true.”

The Northern Virginia Fuller Center for Housing is a non-profit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry dedicated to eliminating poverty housing worldwide. By forming partnerships with local organizations, The Fuller Center provides the structure, guidance and material support that communities need to build and repair homes for the impoverished among them. Project Mend-A-House is a volunteer-based organization founded in 1984 to allow the disabled, seniors and low-income residents of Prince William County, Manassas and Manassas Park to remain safely and independently in their own homes. For more information, please contact Project Mend-A- House at 703-792-7663.

For more information on living the American Dream and owning a home, please contact Karen DeVito, Greater Prince William Housing Consortium at 703-330-1541 or log onto the website, www.catholicsforhousing.org.

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Greater Prince William Housing Consortium Work to Restore a Foreclosed Home for Purchase by Low-Income Residents

On a chilly, rainy weekday evening, several area non-profit leaders and volunteers gather at a vacant, darkened and neglected Prince William County townhome in the Southbridge subdivision. Armed with flashlights and tape measures, these four persons – Jacob Koch and Peter Salemme from the Northern Virginia Fuller Center and Andrea Saccoccia and Bill Okuly from Project Mend-A-House – are about to spend an evening assessing the magnitude and dividing the responsibilities of required repairs and home makeovers of this foreclosed townhome. Their goal? To partner together to restore life to this townhome bought by Catholics for Housing that will be sold to a low-income family whose hopes and dreams of owning a home will also be restored.

"Our organizations are committed to making the dream of home ownership a reality for all residents, particularly low-income residents," stated Ms. Saccoccia. This unique partnership will enable us to do that, one home at a time."

This initial project serves as only a harbinger of greater, more ambitious things to come - to combine sponsorships and donations with volunteer labor to restore 25 homes in five days during the first week in July. Their goal is to raise $150,000 for materials and to bring together literally hundreds of volunteers – both organic and through partnerships with other non-profit, faith-based and civic organizations and local businesses – to make the American Dream of owning and maintaining a home a reality for 25 low-income families.

"Through the generosity of Northern Virginians willing to share their gifts of time, talent or treasure, we will succeed in this unique endeavor,” stated Mr. Koch. “Never has there been a time where coming together for those less fortunate than us is more important.”

Last year, five area non-profit organizations, Catholics for Housing, Dale City Volunteer Fire Department, Northern Virginia Fuller Center for Housing, Northern Virginia Family Services (SERVE) and Project Mend-A-House as well as representatives from government agencies, local elected officials, and lending and rehabilitation specialists formed the Greater Prince William Housing Consortium to apply for a Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) grant from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development. NSP grant funds will be used for acquisition, rehabilitation and homeownership creation within specific neighborhoods experiencing high rates of foreclosure in Prince William County and Manassas. The Consortium received $1,500,000 and will complete eight housing units by September 2010 with this award.

Meanwhile back at the townhome, into the late hours of the evening, the assembled list of required repairs is almost complete – Project Mend-A-House volunteers will patch the drywall, repair the bathrooms and decking and replace floors and broken windows and remove junk, including the soda machine in the backyard. Fuller Center volunteers will replace the kitchen floors, countertops and insulation and paint the entire home. Their goal is to combine forces with other local faith-based and civic organizations, high schools and business partners to complete all repairs by mid-April. At that time, this neglected and vacant townhome will come alive when one very fortunate low-income family brings to life their hopes and dreams as they move in and take ownership of this home.

The Northern Virginia Fuller Center for Housing is a non-profit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry dedicated to eliminating poverty housing worldwide. By forming partnerships with local organizations, The Fuller Center provides the structure, guidance and material support that communities need to build and repair homes for the impoverished among them. Project Mend-A-House is a volunteer-based organization founded in 1984 to allow the disabled, seniors and low-income residents of Prince William County, Manassas and Manassas Park to remain safely and independently in their own homes. For more information or if you are interested in serving as either a sponsor or volunteer for this unique program, please contact either Project Mend-A- House at 703-792-7663 or the Fuller Center at 571-225-6383.