written by Deborah Schagenn, Hands on Housing Program Specialist

Hands on Housing had so many helping hands at our annual Raise the Roof event this year. We set-out to repair and re-paint the exterior of homes for three of our clients, and thanks to the generosity of our partner faith community teams, what was accomplished went even beyond what we had intended.

Maurice, age 77, has lived in his east-Austin home since childhood. His grandfather acquired the house with the money he made from working on the railroad. Needless to say, this house is rich with wonderful memories. Days after the event, Maurice cannot stop smiling and leading tours to his neighbors, family, and friends. He is grateful to Bethany United Methodist Church and Vietnamese Catholic Church Senior Youth Group for the vibrant new colors of his home, his new ceiling fans and light fixtures, and the unexpected bonus of his freshly-trimmed hedges and trees that surround his house. This event was especially significant for BUMC because they are saying farewell to long-time Hands on Housing supporter and team leader, Carl Rieck, who is leaving Austin with his lovely wife, to retire in Corpus Christi. The contribution he has made to iACT is enormous, and will never be forgotten.

We want to say thank you to all of our volunteers from Bethany United Methodist Church – Austin, Vietnamese Catholic Church Senior Youth Group, Oak Hill United Methodist Church, Live Oak United Methodist Church & First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin. You made this possible a really special for our clients.