Press Releases
For More Information:
Melissa Gotell
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
800-887-4673
AmeriCares HomeFront Day 20th Anniversary in New Canaan, Norwalk, Redding & Ridgefield
Stamford, CT – Thousands of local neighborhood volunteers will repair homes and restore hope in their communities, improving countless lives on Saturday, May 3rd, AmeriCares HomeFront Day 20th Anniversary! The event represents the culmination of weeks of preparation where more than 100 participating volunteer groups will revitalize 82 nearby homes for senior citizens, single-parents, people with disabilities, and low-income families who desperately need home repairs. In addition, this year some volunteer groups will repair eight heavily used community centers. The equivalent of 10 weeks of labor will be concentrated in one day, with most repairs completed on May 3rd.
AmeriCares HomeFront recipients have lived in their homes for years, if not decades. In a few cases the home has been in the family for two to three generations. Given the lack of affordable alternatives, many homeowners endure substandard living conditions rather than face homelessness. Having decent housing—the comfort of a sound and livable home—equates to peace of mind and helps revitalize and stabilize communities.
AmeriCares HomeFront volunteers have repaired nearly 2,200 homes in the Connecticut counties of Fairfield, Hartford, New Haven and Litchfield and in Westchester County, New York. Neighbors from all walks of life come out to make these home improvements possible. In addition to the participating faith-based, civic and corporate humanitarians, many building professionals volunteer their expertise and labor. Manufacturers and retailers also generously donate a portion of the construction materials and individual, foundation and corporate donors provide the financial backing to further support the annual event. This collective effort translates into critical home improvements including plumbing and electrical repairs, roofing repairs, heating system improvements, window and door repairs, installation of assistive bars and railings, massive cleanups and fresh coats of paint for community members and community centers with financial limitations.
Experts from the Emmy-award winning television program “This Old House” are participating for the 11th consecutive year, bringing along a crew of 50-plus behind the scenes colleagues from the home improvement series, as well as colleagues from This Old House magazine and thisoldhouse.com to assist a Norwalk family [11 Thomes Street]. TV host Kevin O’Connor, general contractor Tom Silva and their crew will use their remodeling expertise in an effort to return this family’s American dream to a sound and livable state.
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HomeFront is a community program of AmeriCares, an international relief organization whose passion to help is matched by an ability to deliver. Whether it is an epic disaster or a daily struggle, AmeriCares goes to extraordinary lengths to ensure that medicines, medical supplies and aid reaches individuals in need wherever they are, whenever they need it. In a quarter of a century, AmeriCares has delivered more than $7.5 billion of aid to 137 countries.
Media Welcome Volunteer Project Sites
| Site Address |
Volunteer Group |
On-Site Media Liaison |
| New Canaan |
|
|
| 135 River Street |
New Canaan Exchange Club |
Chris Burns |
| Norwalk |
|
|
| 6 Bethel Street |
Factset Research Systems |
Meredith Schiffer |
| 362 Highland Avenue |
St. John's Catholic Church |
Doug McKay |
| 8 Knorr Street |
Affinion |
Kristin Lucas |
| 6 Maurice Street |
St. Luke's Parish - Darien |
Charles England |
| 69 Meadow Street |
St. Jerome Church |
Bramwell Wood |
| 70 Chestnut Street |
GE Real Estate (working Friday, May 2nd) |
Imelda Garcia |
| 22 Marlin Drive |
Our Lady of Fatima Church |
Peter Slavin |
| 7 Academy Street |
Deloitte First Presbyterian Church of New Canaan |
Christopher Purcell |
| 11 Thomes Street |
This Old House |
Alex Bandon |
| 27 Arnold Lane |
United Church of Rowayton |
Caroline Robinson |
| Wilton |
|
|
| 44 Forest Lane |
Kiwanis Club of Wilton, CT |
Thomas Fleming |
| 319 Mountain Road |
St. Matthew's Episcopal/ Wilton Presbyterian Churches |
Sharon McKenna |
Local Participating Volunteer Groups
- Affinion, Norwalk
- AmeriCares Foundation, Stamford
- Deloitte, Wilton
- FactSet Research Systems, Norwalk
- First Church of Christ Congregational,
Redding
- First Congregational Church of Ridgefield
- First Presbyterian Church of New Canaan
- GE Real Estate, Norwalk
- Kiwanis Club of Wilton
- St. Luke's Parish, Darien
- St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, Wilton
- Talmadge Hill Community Church
- The Congregational Church, New Canaan
- MMA, Wilton
- New Canaan Exchange Club
- Norwalk Hospital
- Norwalk United Methodist Church
- Organization of Chinese
Americans, Norwalk
- Our Lady of Fatima Church, Wilton
- St. Francis of Assisi Church,
Weston
- St. Jerome Church, Norwalk
- St. John's Catholic Church, Darien
- This Old House Ventures,
New York
- United Church of Rowayton
- Wilton Presbyterian Church
Major Sponsors
- Bank of America, Hartford, CT
- Bulkley Foundation Trust, New Canaan, CT
- Craig & Deborah Thompson Fund, Hudson Valley National Foundation, Inc.,
Yonkers, NY
- Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation, St. Louis, MO
- Fisher Foundation, Inc., West Hartford, CT
- Hewitt Associates Foundation, Lincolnshire, IL
- Ladies Philoptochos Society, Church of the Archangels, Stamford, CT
- Mabel Burchard Fischer Grant Foundation, Stamford, CT
- MetLife Foundation, New York, NY
- Mithun Family Foundation, Minneapolis, MN
- Naugatuck Savings Bank Foundation, Inc., CT
- NewAlliance Foundation, New Haven, CT
- Rockville Bank Foundation, CT
- Sidney Stern Memorial Trust, Pacific Palisades, CA
- Sievert Family Foundation, Stamford, CT
- The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, CT
- The John H. and Ethel G. Noble Charitable Trust, New York, NY
- The Macauley Foundation (Bob & Leila Macauley), Stamford, CT
- The Norbert H. Hardner Foundation, Amherst, NH
- The Office of Urban Affairs of the Archdiocese of Hartford, CT
- Webster Bank, Waterbury, CT
Product and Services Contributors
- 3M Products, St. Paul, MN
- A Space Center LLC, Beacon Falls, CT
- Abatron Inc., Kenosha, WI
- Accurate Lock and Safe, Danbury, CT
- Andek, Morristown, NJ
- Ansul, Marinette, WI
- Behr Process, Santa Ana, CA
- Classic Tile, Elizabeth, NJ
- Copes Rubbish, Oakville, CT
- Delta Faucet, Indianapolis, IN
- Dow Corning, Midland, MI
- Electrical Wholesalers, Hartford, CT
- Extra Space Storage, East Hartford, CT
- F & M Electric, Danbury, CT
- Glen Major, Weston, CT
- Handy House, Inc., Foxboro, MA
- HJ Hoffman Company, Norwalk, CT
- Home Depot, Norwalk, CT
- Hyde Tools, Southbridge, MA
- International Paper, Putnam, CT
- Lab Safety Supply Inc, Janesville, WI
- M L Zeno, Southbury, CT
- McKinney Products, Scranton, PA
- Palmer Asphalt Company,
Bayonne, NJ
- Public Storage - Railroad Ave,
West Haven, CT
- Tall Trees Landscaping, Wilton, CT
- This Old House Ventures,
New York, NY
- Tile America, Stamford, CT
- Torrington Supply, Waterbury, CT
- Wal-Mart Store #3547
- Wooster Brush Co, Wooster, OH
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