On Nov.
1, 2014, Project Mend-A-House (PMAH) held the first ever Fall Fix-It Fest. The day was organized and executed by PMAH Project Manager, Rob Pennington, and his 5 volunteer team leaders (Bill Hoehn, Edrys Laprea, Dean Quick, Patrick Wesley and Eric Zuniga).
Together, they marshalled 40 volunteers and PMAH staff members at 5 project sites to tackle major projects for clients from around the county. Volunteers braved a cold, wet Saturday to make a difference in the lives of low income seniors by making home repairs to make their homes more livable.
Among the volunteers were a number of first time PMAH participants, including seven adolescents. Over the course of several hours, the PMAH teams were able to accomplish repairs including replacing doors and siding, fixing gutters, yard cleanup, replacing flooring, installing safety grab bars and various plumbing repairs.
“It was wonderful to see so many members of our community pulling together to make a difference in their neighbor’s lives at our first Fall Fix-it Fest.” said PMAH Executive Director, Jennifer Schock-Bolles, “Thank you to everyone for their dedication and hard work, without volunteers, Project Mend-A-House would not exist.”
This event was conceived as a way to tackle bigger projects and involve new volunteers under the guidance of more experienced team members. Another community volunteer day, the Spring Spruce-up is being planned for early next year. PMAH plans to make these annual events to mobilize the community for a day of service and help raise the quality of life for some of the needier members of Prince William County.
Project Mend-A-House needs volunteers. To join PMAH’s team, please contact the organization at 703-792-7663 or visit the website at www.pmahweb.org.
