On Saturday, June 3rd, NeighborWorks America officially kicked off their NeighborWorks Week events around the country. This year's theme is NeighborWorks Works!
NeighborWorks Week is a nationwide celebration of the good that comes out of neighbors working and playing together. Neighborhood Housing Services of New Haven and the entire NeighborWorks network are committed to bringing about positive change by improving lives and strengthening communities. NHS is helping residents thrive in New Haven, ensuring that the core needs of individuals are met by listening to our neighbors, no matter their income or professional position, and providing or linking residents to essential services.
This year, NHS of New Haven's volunteer event was themed "NeighborWorks Works for Veterans!"
Staff from both NHS and Save the Sound (a local nonprofit that aims to protect and improve the land, air, and water of Connecticut and the Long Island Sound) came together at the home of veteran, Loreen Lawrence, to make minor repairs and additions which included: sanding and staining a wheelchair ramp at the back of her home, landscaping in the front and backyards, as well as installing an eco-friendly rain barrel, storm drain and rain garden.
We simply cannot thank Kendal Barbery (Save the Sound) and her staff enough! Kendal worked the entire week prior to our kickoff with senior students from Hopkins School in order to prepare the rain garden installation. Kendal was also kind enough to teach the Hopkins Students (and NHS staff) the intricacies of designing and building a system that connects the gutters, rain barrel, storm drain and rain garden. The project will help diminish storm water runoff in the West River and the Long Island Sound and help prevent raw sewage from entering the water system unfiltered.
At the rear of the home, NHS staff worked diligently on landscaping, as well as performing simple and small repairs to the wheelchair ramp and backyard deck. Staffers also managed to fit in time to stain the deck with a special traction paint.
The work is far from done, but NHS staff members are so proud to have been able to help a Veteran homeowner enjoy her home just a little bit more, become more environmentally savvy, and have a gorgeous deck to relax on. We look forward to a few more volunteer events at Loreen's home.
A few pictures of the event are below, and more can be found on our facebook page: www.facebook.com/nhsofnewhaven.
Awesome NHS! The way you are doing neighbor services is beautiful. You also mentioned that apart from neighborhood services you guys are doing other activity like landscaping and many more. So here we are providing one same kind of platform, where you can do neighborhood service in a different way.
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