Volunteer Repairperson
Insider Info
How long does it take to build a 60-foot wheelchair ramp? In one county
in New Jersey, that depends on how many volunteers come out.
On Saturdays, a dedicated group of handymen and women can be spotted in
Somerset County building ramps for people in wheelchairs. Some build the frames
for the ramps, leading to the houses. Others lay down planks or install handrails.
With about 12 volunteers, a 60-foot ramp takes about seven hours to complete.
Seeing the fruits of your labor could be reward enough. But the best part,
says Bill Crosby, is watching the reaction of a person who has just received
a wheelchair ramp.
"The look on their face the first time they come out the door and see that
ramp there -- it's just unbelievable," Crosby says. "They feel free. Hey,
I can go sit on the front porch. I can go down to the driveway and go to the
mailbox.... And the volunteers have told me just watching that makes the whole
thing worthwhile."
Crosby is the coordinator of the office of volunteer services in Somerset
County. The county started the Handyman Program five years ago. In addition
to building ramps, volunteers do minor home repairs for seniors and people
with disabilities throughout the county.
Repairing leaky faucets, replacing light bulbs, installing grab bars in
bathrooms -- these are just a handful of the activities performed by volunteer
repair people. But the list is endless. There are also sticky doors, broken
locks and bathroom fans that need fixing. One volunteer replaced a senior's
mailbox after a snowplow hit it. So as a fix-it volunteer, you never know
what you're going to get!
Volunteer repair people may work at community centers, theaters, museums,
furniture banks, shelters and animal rescues. Organizations that serve seniors
or people with disabilities often employ repair volunteers, sending them to
people's houses for minor home repairs. But just about any nonprofit can use
a good handyperson for odd jobs around the building.
In addition to gaining handy skills, repair volunteers help to solve people's
problems. They also make their homes and buildings safer.
Oliva Torres is the only volunteer at Somerset County's Handyman Program
with a pink tool belt. "I bought a leather one, and I went to the place where
they make belts, and I had it dyed," she says. "All the boys tease me."
A teacher by day, Torres volunteers evenings and weekends. With her toolbox
and pink tool belt, she visits seniors' homes to do minor repairs. She fixes
door hinges and cabinet doors. She also installs grab bars in showers, or
along hallways or stairwells.
"We do anything to make their lives a little easier," says Torres. Some
of her clients are elderly and unsteady on their feet. Others are disabled
and in wheelchairs.
Many of the people Torres visits want to tell her stories. So she chats
while she works. "They're very proud," she adds. "They all tell you, 'Before,
I used to do my own things. I don't like to ask for help, but I'm sorry I
now have to.'"
Torres learned her repair skills from a handy neighbor, by watching what
he did, and asking him to teach her. She also received some training through
the Handyman Program.
Even the simplest repairs go a long way to improve lives. After Torres
fixed a door lock, one woman told her that she finally felt secure in her
home. After Torres changed a light bulb, another woman told her "you have
given me the light."
When Joe Deveaux lost everything in a fire, a food and furniture bank helped
him get through the winter. Now he gives back to the organization, volunteering
three to five times a week.
A marine mechanic by trade, Deveaux fixes practically everything. The furniture
bank receives dressers, beds, chairs, toys and other items, and gives them
to people in need. Occasionally the furniture that comes in needs minor work.
So some days Deveaux finds himself gluing a chair leg back on, or doing other
repairs.
He's a jack-of-all-trades at the center. Deveaux mops floors, helps with
fundraising drives, and serves customers, taking them to the food shelves.
He also does various repair jobs around the building. He fixes doors or repairs
the carts that transport food and furniture.
Once he even fixed a flat tire on a wheelchair. "A gentleman came in just
around Christmastime in a wheelchair," Deveaux says. "He wondered why it was
hard going through the snow.... I noticed he had a flat tire, so I fixed that
up for him, and he went on his way, and he was happy. You get all kinds of
people popping in here.
"There's no shortage of work around here," adds Deveaux. But he enjoys
helping people. "It makes you feel good," he says. "A lot of them are gracious
that what we give them sustains them for a little while...."
As a maintenance volunteer at a shelter, Rick Aubrey fixed cupboards, taps
and lights. But as a retired teacher and guidance counselor, he also found
that the shelter's tenants confided in him.
"Some of them really started talking to me about things -- things that
were bothering them, or things they'd been through," he says. "Most of them
are either drug or alcohol recoverers, or recovering from some type of mental
disability. It takes a while when a stranger comes in... But it got to the
point afterwards where I'd go in and say 'Hi John,' and I'd get a 'Hi Rick.'"
After seven years of volunteering at the shelter, Aubrey not only got to
know the tenants, he felt like one of the staff. He recently moved away, though
he continues to volunteer.
"I've had a pretty good life.... I'm retired now. I have time, and I'd
like to give something back to society," he says. "I love helping people.
So this is just one way of doing it."
How to Get Involved
Organizations that help seniors and people with disabilities may need repair
volunteers. But other nonprofits like museums, theatres, shelters, rescues,
food banks and community centers may also benefit from repair volunteers.
Look for volunteer jobs titled "handyman," "handyperson," "fix-it," "repair,"
"maintenance" or "property maintenance."
Organizations often seek volunteers who already have good repair skills.
However, some places may offer training. Volunteers may be required to bring
their own tools. And jobs can be fairly physically demanding, with tasks like
climbing ladders and lifting objects.
Links
EverydayHandyman.com
Provides tips and tricks for do-it-yourself home repairs and
home improvement projects
The Family Handyman Magazine
Offers advice and information on do-it-yourself projects
Volunteer Match
Find volunteer opportunities near you
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