May 2, 2008

Rebuilding Together

Rebuilding Together helps out area homeowners

By Carol Rosen
Editor

Rebuilding Together brings out a number of volunteers from San Jose and surrounding areas, but seldom do volunteers travel all the way from Zambia to help.

Rebuilding Together volunteers encounter some dirty work as they demolished a termite-ridden wooden awning at a house in Cambrian Park on April 19. Those pictured are from Fall Creek Engineering—who usually put things up—and the Family Community Church. From the left are: Kelli Horner, a civil and environmental engineer; Alex Yasbet, an environmental engineer; Vicki Miller, an administrative assistant at Fall Creek, on the ladder: Dick Armstrong, a civil engineer who telecommutes from Zambia, and Jan and Dennis Ashby, from the Family Community Church. Photos by Carol Rosen

Four people from Fall Creek Engineering, based in Santa Cruz, three engineers and one administrative assistant, were helping at a home in Cambrian along with six people from the Family Community Church. One of the engineers is Dick Armstrong, who just happens to telecommute to Santa Cruz from Zambia. Armstrong, who lives in the African country, also teaches the principals of sustainable agriculture to those living in that country.

In fact, Armstrong is one of the engineers who started the engineering company in 1991. The company works on projects throughout the world, including Mexico, Fiji, Honduras, Costa Rica and throughout California. Prior to starting Fall Creek, Armstrong spent 10 years with the United Nations.

The 16 volunteers worked on a home in the Cambrian area helping tear down a termite-ridden awning that was also barring sunshine from the house and to fix bathroom plumbing, plaster and dry wall a ceiling, put in new gutters and prepare to put down a new lawn. On April 26, another smaller group came to finish what the first group was unable to complete on April 19.

The homeowner, who asked not to be named, appeared overwhelmed by all the activity. She said she was thankful and grateful for their help. “They have done so much for us in so little time,” she said. “Just taking out that wooden awning in the back has brought light into the house. I went to open the back door and sunlight came in,” she said smiling,” and they have put a peephole in the front door, fixed the plumbing and the peeling ceiling in the hallway.

Volunteers from Rebuilding Together visited the house last October adding safety bars and ramps for another home occupant and putting in a new heater.

Cindy Eckhardt holds the ladder as Mike Nemchik helps paint a home in north Willow Glen. Eckhardt works for Dr. Richard Trevino and Nemchik is a realtor with Coldwell Banker.

Twenty-five people visited a home in northern Willow Glen to repaint it along with its numerous shutters and awnings, fix wallpaper and rebuild a garden gate. “It’s like having a brand new bathroom,” said homeowner Gloria Polch who has lived in the trailer for about three years with her mother and two children. “I couldn’t have done it without them.”

Volunteers from the First Congregational Church on Hamilton were busily painting the home while Ploch’s son helped and also learned a bit about carpentry and painting.

Ploch heard about Rebuilding Together through a local shopping newspaper, she said, and was totally grateful for the help.

On the second weekend, April 26, a group of about 20 students from the Chi Omega sorority at Stanford University came out to Willow Glen to help fix up a home. Sadly, the homeowners, who asked not to be named, were unable to be there, but family members were on hand to provide a helping hand.

This house also needed some sprucing up, but the outside painting was mostly on the trim. By early afternoon most of the work had been done including replacing all of the faucets in the bathroom along with the rear entry door.

The family has lived in the house for 45 years, said the owner’s daughter.

“Our job is to keep these people safe, independent and warm, “said Danny Martinez, the house captain.