Both Hands for April & JT: September 2010

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Replace that Oven!

Great News Today!

Our team member, Susan, got a hold of the East Pasco Habitat for Humanity Restore in Dade City today. She spoke with the manager, Tony Bryant. Tony has offered to donate an oven to April Marr for the project.

The last time we visited we learned that her oven hasn't worked in years, nor did three of her four stove top coils. She had just mentioned it wondering it if it were a quick fix for us. Our team member, Todd, spoke with some people and found that the parts were obsolete, and if we special ordered them he would not be able to take them as returns, and they still may not fix the problem. So we went about looking for a new oven for April.

I just called her to let her know that we will be able to replace the oven rather than fixing it and she is so excited. She said that really if we only fixed her glass slider that doesn't slide she'd be happy, but she is so excited about us helping her. I can't wait to go spend the day with her.

My brother and our team member, Todd owner of The Skylighters, has figured out the logistics and located the parts for all the other projects we will do. We only have one more thing to figure out before the service day. The flooring. I have spoken with a friend from Tampa Tile Center, and am hoping he will find another idea for us.

If you know anyone with knowledge on flooring please shoot me an email. :)

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Meet April

Here are some things that you might want to know about our widow April Marr

April has the following types of pets: squirrels, cats (a colony of them), coi fish
April has three children, including a set of twins
April's favorite color is green
April's favorite plant is ivy
April was born in New Jersey
April's daughter is a nurse who works in the hospital in zephyrhills
April used to love to ride horses when she was able
April built a coi pond out of an old hot tub in her screened lanai
April rescued two baby squirrels after the hurricanes of 2001 when they fell from their nest and were starving
April also had a pet possum and an owl at one time

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Another Project

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Visiting April

Yesterday Bryan and I had the pleasure of visiting with April to prep for our project. My neice Sarai (also on our team) came along, as did our foreman (my brother Todd). We walked around the house and took a couple pictures and took notes and measurements. We are very excited to be back in October and get these projects done.

Here is her broken fan that we will be replacing.

We plan to build a new ramp on the other side of where her wheelchair is here. She struggles to fit the wheelchair through this path and we will do what we can do make it easier for her to get out of the house.

These bricks are often falling from underneath her wheels. We hope to find a way to keep that from happening to help prevent a fall.

This is her path to the front door from the kitchen between the carpet. The original installer used metal pieces that aren't meant to curve like this, so the pieces are broken into pieces and come up at each curve. These metal pieces trip up her wheelchair and have sliced her foot on a couple occasions. It is not wide enough for her wheelchair and so the pieces keep getting pulled up.

These are the separations that keep coming up.

We have a list of other items, such as replacing screening, weeding, fixing doors, sliders, windows etc. Also her oven does not work and only 2 out of the 4 burners on the top work so we will see what we can do to help with that.

Monday, September 6, 2010

Mailing Party 1

We had a great party on Saturday evening at the Watson's House. Thanks so much for them to host it! We definitely had some fun as you can see below and were able to mail out a number of letters for sponsors!