Elderly, disabled receive needed home repair thanks to county group

Rebuilding Together Montgomery County to repair 38 homes Saturday

So the family applied to have a volunteer-based group called Rebuilding Together Montgomery County come and fix up the house, free of charge.

‘‘When they came in, they treated me with respect,” said Candy Smith, 60. ‘‘They made me feel like I was paying them.”

The work started several weeks ago and was sponsored by between D.G. Liu Contractor, Inc. in Dickerson and a group from Our Lady of Good Counsel School in Olney. The group replaced electrical sockets, re-did the floors and installed new lighting. For Candy Smith, handrails installed next to the stairs allowed her to maneuver them more easily after undergoing knee surgery. And for John Smith, the replacement of a tub with a walk in shower will make bathing a much easier task.

‘‘I guess I’m just blessed to have found these people,” Candy Smith said. ‘‘All I can say is thank you.”

For someone who is elderly or disabled, having a helping hand around the house can mean the world, according to Bethesda resident Bob Quinn. Along with his service group, the Bethesda Kiwanis club, Quinn has helped rebuild and repair homes for Montgomery County residents as a part of Rebuilding Together Montgomery since 1991.

‘‘We come out and help and make a difference for a person who can’t take care of themselves,” said Quinn, who is vice-president of the group. ‘‘We allow them to be able to remain in their own homes.”

Rebuilding Together Montgomery County was founded in 1990 as a part of a national Rebuilding Together organization. The group aims to help out low-income homeowners — many of whom are elderly or disabled — with household projects they may not have the funds or physical ability to complete. Over the years, the Montgomery County group has enlisted more than 35,000 volunteers to work on 1,200 houses.

This Saturday, Quinn, along with about 1,000 volunteers, will join other national chapters to take on home repair projects as a part of National Rebuilding Day. Thirty-eight homes in Montgomery County are slated for repairs, including sites in Kensington, Clarksburg, and Montgomery Village. The group continues its work throughout the year – and also refers individuals to other services they may need – but most home repair work takes place on the annual rebuilding day, according to Susan Hawfield, executive director of the group.

Though work on the Smith’s home and others has already begun, volunteers will continue their work this weekend.

‘‘The low-income in Montgomery County are often invisible,” Hawfield said. ‘‘They can be your next-door neighbor and you wouldn’t know it.” Last year, she said, most of the people who received the groups’ services lived on an income of less than $18,000 a year for two people.

Groups such as the Kiwanis Club sponsor a house by donating a fixed amount of money to Rebuilding Together. For nonprofits and religious organizations, the amount is $2,500, and for businesses, the cost is $5,000. The money goes toward a centralized fund for the effort, and is then redistributed to individual homes based on the repairs it may need, Hawfield said.

This year, the Kiwanis Club, along with Christ Church Parish Kensington, is sponsoring the Wheaton home of a man who has lost his legs due to diabetes. The group will work on repairs to the toilet, which has caused some flooding problems, and some painting and touch-up work. In previous years, the group, along with representatives from Shady Grove Adventist Hospital, built a ramp that allowed the man easy access to and from his house in his wheelchair.

‘‘Prior to that, he had not been outside except for whenever somebody could carry him,” Quinn said.

Many Montgomery County residents wouldn’t be getting the help they need if it weren’t for the efforts of the group’s volunteers, Hawfield said. ‘‘It’s easy to forget that we have neighbors that have great needs,” Hawfield said.

To help

Limited spots are available for those who wish to volunteer on National Rebuilding Day. To fill out an application to volunteer, visit the group’s Web site at http:⁄⁄www.rebuildingtogethermc.org⁄. Anyone may apply, but skilled workers such as plumbers, electricians and carpenters are particularly needed.