Mary Blanchard Announces the Labor of Love Program
As we’re well aware, the tough economic times are having an impact on nearly every resident
in Sturbridge in one form or another. Many of us have made adjustments, some relatively minor, some fairly significant in an effort to maximize our discretionary income.
Many sacrifices have been made, and continue to be made, by members of our community and in time those sacrifices can take a toll. Sometimes it might be a few missed meals, or an unfilled prescription, or the inability to keep our homes properly heated or cooled. In other cases, it may result in the inability to maintain the upkeep of our homes or property, which often lead to further deterioration of our most valuable physical assets.
As we know, the REAS Foundation has been working to identify and respond to energy related issues that affect our senior residents. We are experiencing a great deal of success to date, due to the generosity and compassion of Sturbridge residents. As an offshoot of those efforts, I have had discussions with several members and residents, about establishing a program designed to assist some of our least fortunate residents with the maintenance of their homes. Our focus will be seniors, disabled, or single-parent homeowners.
We will attempt to identify one to two homes per year that require a considerable amount of work such as painting, landscaping, repairs, etc. and then assign a group of volunteers ranging from 10-20 members who will commit one full day, in some cases a weekend, to complete the selected work. Of the two homes selected, one must be owned by a Sturbridge senior; the other, a disabled resident or single-parent household, who are physically unable to perform the work.
The effort, which we have named the Labor of Love Program, is similar to the Rebuilding Together Program or the Christmas in April Program, and will be coordinated by Sturbridge resident and REAS Associate - Rich Paradise, and myself. It is our belief, that whenever possible, local challenges are best solved by local solutions.
This is an all volunteer effort and I am asking members of the community who have skills, time, or the desire to help, to please come forward and offer your help. We will also be reaching out to local vendors in hopes of obtaining as much donated material (paint, supplies, etc) as possible.
