HOW, G & G Provide Warsaw Woman With New Deck
October 18, 2020 at 10:35 p.m.
HOW, G & G Provide Warsaw Woman With New Deck
By David [email protected]
Alaister McFarren, program manager with Housing Opportunities of Warsaw (HOW), said 10-15 years ago, HOW worked with Heeter on getting her a new bathroom and furnace. Since her husband passed away, Heeter has had some mobility issues. Her front steps to her mailbox were deteriorating so she’s had to use her back door to get to the front of her house, her mailbox and to put her trash out.
“So G & G here, they were nice enough – we got all the materials together – and they were willing to come out and put the deck together,” McFarren said.
He said G & G reached out to HOW about a month ago, asking if there was any volunteer work HOW needed done. “Right as they called us, (Heeter) had been contacting us about maybe getting something done here, so it was good timing,” McFarren said.
Richard Groninger, vice president of G & G, was out with six other company employees Saturday building the deck.
“We give our guys opportunity (to volunteer). We offer up to 16 hours of paid volunteer time. So we’re always looking for opportunities for the guys to go out” and volunteer in the community, Groninger said.
The employees with him on Heeter’s deck project were Charlie Bird, Scott Moore, Nick Shilling, Megan Carr, Tyler Palmer and Todd Doberstein.
“Today, we’re actually building an 8-foot by 8-foot deck off the front door, just so she has better access to her mailbox and the front door. Setting the post, and creating the structure and then putting the decking boards and handrails in,” Groninger said in explaining the work they were doing. He estimated it would take about six hours.
“It’s the joy of helping others is the biggest thing,” he said. “We encourage everybody to go out and do it. The joy of helping others and seeing their face and reaction to a finished product you can do for them.”
Groninger said G & G is always looking for opportunities to help not-for-profits and helping out people in the community.
“We love helping others,” he said.
Heeter said the volunteers were doing a good job. As the G & G employees kept working in the chilly air, she peeked out her front window to watch the progress.
“I think it will help,” she said. “I’ve always went (out the back door). With me having seizures and stuff, it’s harder for me to go around, so I have to use a walker at times. So I think this will be very helpful, so I don’t have to walk all the way around. I think the guys are doing a pretty good job. I’m excited. That way I can go down and get my mail.”
With the city of Warsaw, HOW has the Home of Your Own program. By G & G volunteering to do the labor, McFarren said that will save money for that program.
The Home of Your Own program is a fund started by HOW and the city of Warsaw. HOYO is available to families whose annual income falls under 80% of the area median income, which is recalculated yearly. Using these HOYO funds, HOW is able to help these lower-income families rehab their homes, typically with much-needed repairs such as new roofs, new septic lines or remodeling a bathroom with aging-in-place modifications, according to information provided by McFarren.
Depending on where they fall within the area median income, families may find their rehabs fully funded by these grant funds or with a monthly payback based on their income, typically a very small percentage of the overall cost of the job made in very manageable payments. These payments go back into the HOYO revolving loan fund, which is used to rehab the homes of other Warsaw families in need when HOW is not utilizing funds from another specific grant.
HOW is always looking for volunteers and people who are willing, like G & G, to come out and help people like Heeter.
“Karen, especially, she’s a great, great lady. Lives here with her dogs,” McFarren said. “It’s just great to see the community willing to get behind people who really need it. G & G is a great organization and through this whole process they’ve been really gung-ho about helping and really selfless people.”
To volunteer or for more information about getting work done on a home, the HOW office is located at 109 W. Catherine St., Milford, and the phone number is 574-269-7641, ext. 1060. “And we’ll help you out the best we can from there,” McFarren said.
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Alaister McFarren, program manager with Housing Opportunities of Warsaw (HOW), said 10-15 years ago, HOW worked with Heeter on getting her a new bathroom and furnace. Since her husband passed away, Heeter has had some mobility issues. Her front steps to her mailbox were deteriorating so she’s had to use her back door to get to the front of her house, her mailbox and to put her trash out.
“So G & G here, they were nice enough – we got all the materials together – and they were willing to come out and put the deck together,” McFarren said.
He said G & G reached out to HOW about a month ago, asking if there was any volunteer work HOW needed done. “Right as they called us, (Heeter) had been contacting us about maybe getting something done here, so it was good timing,” McFarren said.
Richard Groninger, vice president of G & G, was out with six other company employees Saturday building the deck.
“We give our guys opportunity (to volunteer). We offer up to 16 hours of paid volunteer time. So we’re always looking for opportunities for the guys to go out” and volunteer in the community, Groninger said.
The employees with him on Heeter’s deck project were Charlie Bird, Scott Moore, Nick Shilling, Megan Carr, Tyler Palmer and Todd Doberstein.
“Today, we’re actually building an 8-foot by 8-foot deck off the front door, just so she has better access to her mailbox and the front door. Setting the post, and creating the structure and then putting the decking boards and handrails in,” Groninger said in explaining the work they were doing. He estimated it would take about six hours.
“It’s the joy of helping others is the biggest thing,” he said. “We encourage everybody to go out and do it. The joy of helping others and seeing their face and reaction to a finished product you can do for them.”
Groninger said G & G is always looking for opportunities to help not-for-profits and helping out people in the community.
“We love helping others,” he said.
Heeter said the volunteers were doing a good job. As the G & G employees kept working in the chilly air, she peeked out her front window to watch the progress.
“I think it will help,” she said. “I’ve always went (out the back door). With me having seizures and stuff, it’s harder for me to go around, so I have to use a walker at times. So I think this will be very helpful, so I don’t have to walk all the way around. I think the guys are doing a pretty good job. I’m excited. That way I can go down and get my mail.”
With the city of Warsaw, HOW has the Home of Your Own program. By G & G volunteering to do the labor, McFarren said that will save money for that program.
The Home of Your Own program is a fund started by HOW and the city of Warsaw. HOYO is available to families whose annual income falls under 80% of the area median income, which is recalculated yearly. Using these HOYO funds, HOW is able to help these lower-income families rehab their homes, typically with much-needed repairs such as new roofs, new septic lines or remodeling a bathroom with aging-in-place modifications, according to information provided by McFarren.
Depending on where they fall within the area median income, families may find their rehabs fully funded by these grant funds or with a monthly payback based on their income, typically a very small percentage of the overall cost of the job made in very manageable payments. These payments go back into the HOYO revolving loan fund, which is used to rehab the homes of other Warsaw families in need when HOW is not utilizing funds from another specific grant.
HOW is always looking for volunteers and people who are willing, like G & G, to come out and help people like Heeter.
“Karen, especially, she’s a great, great lady. Lives here with her dogs,” McFarren said. “It’s just great to see the community willing to get behind people who really need it. G & G is a great organization and through this whole process they’ve been really gung-ho about helping and really selfless people.”
To volunteer or for more information about getting work done on a home, the HOW office is located at 109 W. Catherine St., Milford, and the phone number is 574-269-7641, ext. 1060. “And we’ll help you out the best we can from there,” McFarren said.
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