Thanks to You! - United Way of Freeborn County

Thanks to You!
Rocking the Block: 2013
This year brought new challenges for our community as we learned in the spring that our local Housing and
Redevelopment Authority office was not awarded the Small Cities Grant to rehab local homes. The grant had been
awarded for the past 3 years and helped to significantly improve local homes.
Yet, even with this bad news, we were still grateful to have our Rocking the Block project to work on, as there is still
great need. And with that change, we decided to focus on homes that had been on the HRA’s waiting list, working
mainly on health and safety issues.
We were grateful to have new partners Freeborn Lumber and Richard’s Wood Products, as well as Ace Hardware join
our efforts by providing in-kind donations of materials. We also had new volunteers join the charge and many
committed people return to help out at various projects.
Three of the four projects included painting/staining and repairing the exterior of homes. Paint was donated by Valspar
and Freeborn Lumber Co. donated the roofing materials for the Frank Hall Drive project featured below.
In 2013, we were able to secure funding from three main sources: A $5,000 grant from ITC ; $5,400 of sponsorships from
36 local businesses ($150/each) and $2,500 from Mayo Clinic Health System. These funds were used to purchase
materials that were not donated, such as new bathroom fittings and insulation for the home featured below. We again
had over 200 volunteers participate in the week-long project
The project could not have been successful without our volunteers or without the donations of materials, equipment,
food and other various items.
The following narrative will give glimpses of what the projects entailed.
The James Avenue home:
This was one of the most challenging situations,
as a poor remodel of the bathroom resulted in
extensive mold growing between the bathroom
walls. The original bathroom (left side, below)
had been walled in without any insulation
between the shower surround and the window.
The crew completely gutted the bathroom,
reinstalled electrical and plumbing and repaired
the ceiling. They also installed a new floor.
The bathroom and adjoining rooms had walls
repaired and given a fresh coat of paint.
In addition to the bathroom, the foundation
had issues with water seeping through—
volunteers worked to remove sediment from
around the home and dig trenches so the
water would drain to the backyard.
Volunteers also installed and repaired gutters
as water had been running off the roof right
against the foundation, worsening the
problem.
New concrete was poured on the front path,
weeds removed and landscaping was planted.
A new door was installed as the previous one
had been damaged and was unable to lock.
HRA Director Jon Ford inspects the bathroom
(above, left). The new bathroom (above, right) has
a tub and a more functional layout. The window
was repaired and insulated so natural light would
flow into the home.
Wayne Applegate and Mike Nelson (left) were the
project managers for the site and spent most of
the week at the home. The Albert Lea Tribune did
a story about their effort and the Shinefest week.
The Marshall Avenue home:
Trudy Donohue became one of the favorites
over our week-long project. She was there
every day to help direct volunteers. Her
home is pictured after (left).
Trudy’s home had experienced a great deal
of mold in the basement—this was the first
project volunteers completed, as well as
clearing out the house to get ready to paint
all of the interior rooms, including the
kitchen cabinets.
We were thankful for the local Grizzly team,
who stopped by the first evening to do the
heavy lifting and help with mold removal.
Shrubs were removed from the front of the house and it was
re-landscaped with hosta and tiger lilies.
Several volunteers helped scrape and re-stain the deck on the
side of the home.
Volunteers also helped to make repairs to the bathroom to
some leaky faucets and they re-caulked the tub.
The ceiling in her sun room was repaired—it had been
damaged by water leaking through a poorly installed roof
years earlier.
Trudy was so thankful for the help that she sent personal
notes to all the people who volunteered to help out that
week. Her story was featured on KIMT News Channel 3
towards the end of the week (KIMT staff pictured below)
Project manager Phil Wacholz was there every evening that
week to ensure the project ran smoothly.
The Grizzlies are pictured below and on the
front page with Trudy (center).
The Frank Hall Drive home:
Patty Grohe and her three daughters
spent much of the week helping to repaint their home. The home had only
been primed years earlier (pictured
above left) and the paint was peeling.
Volunteers from Home Depot
(pictured left) spent an afternoon reroofing and painting the garage.
Others helped install new wood
frames around the windows—many
were rotting and allowing moisture to
get into the home.
A crew from UPS helped repair and
reinstall gutters so water would not
get into the foundation.
The back steps were also leveled and
repaired.
One very committed volunteer helped
to re-wire electrical panels that had
continued to short out and fix a
thermostat issue so the furnace would
work more efficiently.
Volunteers congregated at Grohe’s home throughout the week, sharing meals and stories together. Many developed a
close bond as shown in the photo above right.
Project managers Chuck Avery, Dick Burroughs, Jim Troe and Tom Egan were there every day to ensure the project was a
success. They helped direct volunteers and stayed after the day’s work was complete to attend to details.
The St. Joseph Avenue home:
Janet Thompson’s home had several
structural issues. The front steps and
walkway were cracked, allowing water to
seep into the basement of the home.
Volunteers focused on demolishing the
front steps and walkway, as well as the
crumbling foundation (below).
Project Manager Travis Quam led efforts to build new front steps and install a railing (above, left). Volunteers
also installed a new stone foundation around the front and trimmed the shrubs. They also poured a new
concrete walk out front (below, right). Because there was extra concrete from the project, volunteers also
repaired a section of walkway in front of the neighbor’s home (below, left).
There was also work to be done inside the home. The entryway floor was tiled and the bathroom was
repaired, including the installation of a new toilet by Jim & Dude’s. The previous toilet was not secured in the
floor and wobbled—there were concerns that plumbing could fracture, causing a leak.
Janet and several volunteers re-painted the garage and worked on landscaping in the back of the home.
During the course of the project, we discovered Janet is in charge of a local program called “Gifts from Above”
that provides resources and support for pregnant women and children up to age two. The program operates
from First Baptist Church in Albert Lea.
We were glad to give back to someone who already was helping so many others in our community!
Erwin Hill (pictured left) helped out at the
Marshall Ave. home all week, but took
breaks to bring donut holes and Shinefest
t-shirts to volunteers.
One of the goals of the project was to
encourage friendships with people who
had not met before—there were many
opportunities for fellowship during the
week.
The Rocking the Block project focuses on fixing up homes, but also helps bring the community together in meaningful
work. Our intention is that people will develop relationships with each other and continue to build community long after
the work is complete.
Though this project assured homes were safer, healthier and more energy efficient, the greatest impact was in the lives
we touched. There were 12 individuals (Two couples (one with three children), a single mom with her three daughters
and an older woman who were served and who are now able to continue living in their homes.
We had more volunteers sign up this year and engaged a variety of groups such as the Grizzlies, who came out to help
with some larger projects like tearing out shrubs and moving furniture. We also had past recipients volunteer for some
of the projects.
In-kind contributions of materials:
-Paint for four homes (Valspar)
-Roofing materials (Freeborn Lumber)
-Paint brushes, trays, etc. (Ace Hardware
-Discounted materials for all projects (Home Depot)
-Wood products and trim (Richard’s Wood Products)
-Tools & heavy machinery (Contractors & volunteers)
-Discount for plumbing services and donation of materials (Jim &Dude’s)
-Dumpsters for debris (Thompson Sanitation)
-Programmable thermostats and energy efficient light bulbs (Alliant Energy)
-Snacks and beverages for volunteers (The Salvation Army)
-Meals and treats for volunteers (Volunteers)
Additional services:
-Waiver of permit fees and use of landfill for debris (City of Albert Lea)
Thank you for the part you played in this work! We will begin planning 2014 projects this December. If you are
interested in being involved with the process, please feel free to contact the coordinators (info. below):
Ann Austin (United Way of Freeborn County: 507-373-8670
Jim Troe (Shinefest): 507-369-2960
Jon Ford (Housing & Redevelopment Authority): 507-377-4375