HomeFront Program Will Return In The Spring

With Free Home Repair Help

STAMFORD — For 22 years and counting, the HomeFront program has been a vehicle for community-minded volunteers to empower deserving neighbors through free home repairs. Last May, more than 4,000 HomeFront local volunteers lived out the message of keeping homeowners in their homes with an improved quality of life. By the end of HomeFront Day 2009, 100 revitalized homes and community centers in Fairfield, Hartford, and New Haven Counties in Connecticut, and Westchester County, N.Y., gave volunteers the overall distinction of having completed more than 2,400 repair projects in the program’s history.

Despite these contagious good works, many residents of the communities covered by HomeFront still do not know that their neighbors care.

HomeFront candidates for 2010 are now being considered. Homeowners are selected on the basis of need with the stipulation that the house must be owner occupied. Repairs might include carpentry, painting, plastering, weatherproofing, window replacement, cleaning and yard work. Most of the volunteers are enthusiastic, unskilled helpers under the direction of skilled leaders, while professional service volunteers perform the more technical work, as needed.

All requests for help remain confidential.

HomeFront staff and volunteer leaders conduct all of the homeowner selections by the end of March, culminating in the repair work that will be done on the first weekend of May 2010.

Homeowners who would like to be considered for HomeFront Day 2010 should contact HomeFront’s office as soon as possible. The deadline to submit applications is January 15, 2010. Call 800-887-HOPE (4673) or visit AmeriCaresHomeFront.org for details.