 This month we said goodbye to a good friend. Ted Caldwell, one of our beloved homeowners, passed away at the age of 78 . A resident of Landenberg, Ted lived in the same house in which he grew up.
In 2016, our summer Youth Camp did extensive repairs to his home. Some of the repairs included rebuilding his front porch and replacing the entire exterior wall on the back of his house. Ted adored spending time with our teens and was deeply touched by all that was done. The devotion that the youth demonstrated to Ted made a huge impact on him personally. This was evident to all of us when at his funeral, Ted was buried with an American flag to commemorate his service in Vietnam and a framed picture of himself and the youth in front of his home. Good Neighbors' Youth Camp has expanded greatly over the last 20 years. This summer is our largest camp yet. 80 students will attend over a 2 week period. We want to thank the students, adult volunteers and churches that make this event possible. When our community comes together, we can make a difference in the lives of low income homeowners as well as in the hearts and minds of our youth.     Sheilah Young has been working all her life. For years, as a single mother, she honed her skills as a seamstress doing costume design for theater. The work never provided benefits or sick leave, but Sheilah made do because costume design has always been a labor of love for her. In the midst of working hard, she always found time to volunteer, both for the American Cancer Society and as the Assistant Vice President of the Dunleith Civic Association. As Vice President she manages the Dunleith swimming pool, the only county pool still operating in New Castle County, DE. Residents pay a few dollars to swim during the summer months but when kids who want to swim lack the funds, Sheilah allows them to enter by paying in a more creative way. "I have them read a chapter from a book to me or make them do some math problems," she explains.
"I really could not afford to pay for a new roof. I will always have to work and the key is staying in my home." Sheilah is a young 67 but she had to retire early from her costume work when her mother became ill and required her constant care. Sheilah's limited income had to cover both her and her mother's expenses. After her mother passed, Sheilah returned to her work part time as a seamstress at Joseph A. Banks but admits that she would rather be making costumes for the theater. "I really miss making pretty things," she remarked. With only part time work and the loss of savings while caring for her mother, Sheilah became concerned when her roof required replacement. "I really could not afford to pay for a new roof. I will always have to work and the key is staying in my home." So when she found out about Good Neighbors while attending a Rose Hill Community Center meeting she made the call immediately. A few months later, volunteers from Good Neighbors' first corporate work week, Hands of Hope, descended on Sheilah's roof and managed to replace it in just one day! Always a volunteer at heart, Sheilah donned work gloves and jumped right in. She even made sure that everyone was well fed and provided hot soup and snacks to volunteers from WSFS and Capital One. "I was so excited to have them," she said, "This really helped me a lot. I have always volunteered for the blessing and the blessing was returned when I got a new roof!."
 A week of sunny spring days were the perfect setting for for happy hearts and willing hands determined to repair low income homes in New Castle County, DE. Good Neighbors hosted its first ever week long corporate work week called Hands of Hope from April 22nd to the 26th.Over 120 volunteers from 14 Delaware companies managed to repair 5 homes in only 4 days! Friday's repairs were cancelled due to thunderstorms but that didn't dampen spirits that arrived that night at The Contemporary on the Riverfront to celebrate a great week. Attendees at the Friday evening event shared memories and participating companies received awards.
Large corporations such as CSC, Chase, WSFS, Long and Foster and Capital One sent dozens of volunteers to work alongside volunteers from smaller Delaware-based companies such as CSOLS Inc, Precision AirConvey, Trellist Marketing and Technology, Fontspring and R. Short Roofing. Additionally, County Executive Matt Meyer and several of his staff joined in on the work sites. Volunteers were privileged to interact with homeowners throughout the week. Several of the homeowners were housebound due to chronic illnesses and disabilities but the outpouring of community support was uplifting and encouraging to these needy homeowners. "I’m 75 and it is kind of hard for me to do some of the things that need to be done on my house. Some of the things that I used to be able to do, I can’t do. My retirement and my social security don’t quite make ends meet,” stated homeowner Mr. Dixon, “Trying to get things fixed on my house has just been a struggle. Good Neighbors along with these volunteers have been a blessing. They came and got on the roof and repaired it. I thank God for their help.” If you and your company missed out last week, don't worry, a Hands of Hope 2020 is already in the works. Stay tuned!  Good Neighbors is excited because April is just around the corner! Do you want to know why we love it? April is National Volunteer Month and we LOVE our volunteers. Without them, we wouldn't be able to repair over 100 low income homes every year.
Volunteers like Larry Price are what make Good Neighbors' work so significant. Larry grew up in Kentucky and came to Chester County in a job transfer 30 years ago. He spent years working in the pharmaceutical industry as a Director of Quality Assurance. He has a talent for making production plants as efficient as possible. Now, Larry offers that talent to Good Neighbors by helping us to make our repair process as efficient as possible! When asked why he has donated over 10 years of volunteer service to non profit home repair companies, Larry replied, "I love to see the results. I not only see the results at the end of the day, I can feel them. When you are tired from a long day of repairing houses you can really 'feel' that you made a contribution and that kind of tired makes you feel good!" Working on a repair site has really impacted Larry throughout the years. "I used to just write checks and then a few years ago a light bulb came on in my head. I thought, 'I'm not completely in the game. I want to see people effected. I want to be hands on!'" Larry now understands what it means to give his time, talent and treasure. "As Christians, we need to give all three of these, not just one or two," explains Larry. We wish to thank Larry and the hundreds of other faithful volunteers that contribute their time, treasure and talent to our work. We really couldn't do it without you!  When an elderly, low income homeowner in Oxford contacted Good Neighbors Home Repair to address his kitchen floor, our project managers discovered that they were in for quite a surprise! Upon their arrival, they realized that the collapsing kitchen floor was hiding more than termite and water damage. The floors and broken cabinets had become a second home to a few rats and snakes! With courage and ingenuity, our project managers Phil and Tom were not only able to replace the floors and cabinets, they also ensured that the pesky visitors never returned! Our needy neighbors are sometimes faced with the worst imaginable living conditions. Thanks to supporters like you, our work is improving the lives of people right here in our community by restoring their hope and dignity!
 A Newark homeowner contacted us seeking help with some home repairs. She and her husband had run a prosperous business, but he died, and she had to assume all of the duties of the business herself. Her situation was complicated further when she was diagnosed with a debilitating disease. Whatever financial resources she had left were wiped out by medical expenses. And you can probably guess what happened next: unable to work, she had to shutter the business. Here is a woman who worked hard to hang on after the devastating loss of her husband. She worked hard, but in the providence of God, her situation was harder. It was our joy to be able to repair her furnace and chimney, and it was her joy, too—she wept at the completion of the work, overwhelmed with gratitude. May God grant her mercy in her circumstances, and lasting hope in Christ Jesus.   Last week, we shared some photos to social media from a project in Wilmington. The homeowners are a couple who have lived at their address for over thirty years, and are recently facing health challenges. The husband had a heart attack some years ago, and still faces ongoing issues with pain in his arms and hands. His wife was diagnosed with cancer shortly after we began work on their home. After New Castle County building inspectors sent violation notices for several issues, the couple reached out to Good Neighbors to help address them. They met our criteria, and we set about working on the home. So far, we've worked on rebuilding their back porch, fixing damaged plaster, and putting up new siding. Please join us in praying for this couple. Pray for healing for her cancer, and pain management for the lingering effects of his heart attack. Pray that the Lord would provide for their financial and physical needs. Above all, pray that our work—done in Jesus name—would point their eyes to Jesus, the only true and lasting provision for the healthy and the hurting, the prosperous and the poor.   Love, Inc is a mercy ministry in New Castle County. This past summer, a local homeowner reached out to Love, Inc because her roof was in terrible shape, and the leaks were making their way into her kitchen, utility room, and bathrooms. Mold was starting to form, and with herself and two daughters to care for, she had no way to pay for the repairs on her own. But without any attention, the roof would likely have caved in and put this family in a far more dire situation. Love, Inc evaluated her case and referred her to us. After an interview, we determined that the homeowner qualified for repairs and we set about doing them. Over the course of several months, Good Neighbors staff and volunteers—including a group from our Youth Camp—set about converting this family's house from a source of anxiety into a warmer, drier, safer, healthier home. In addition to the roofing work, we painted, replaced gutters, replaced a window, and replaced the damaged drywall on the interior ceilings. We received a letter from the homeowner, thanking us for the kind disposition of our volunteers, and praising God for his provision. This warms our hearts, and we hope it warms yours, too. We repair homes as an expression of our love for Jesus, that we might restore lasting hope to the people we serve. Thanks be to God that this dear woman knows the source of her help and hope.  Dear Friends,
It is with joy and humility that I announce a Longwood Foundation grant of $80,000 to Good Neighbors Home Repair in support of our initiative to Restore Hope by Repairing Homes in northern New Castle County. The Longwood Foundation grant is designated to fund the repair of 20+ homes in 2018 and the infrastructure to continue increasing our impact and build long-term sustainability. For over 25 years Good Neighbors has built strong relations with 20 area foundations who provide almost 50% of our annual budget. The Longwood Foundation, however, is known as having the most rigorous process of evaluation and examination. Through the six-month process we were called to examine every facet of our work:
This is a one-time grant to begin our 5 year goal in NCC: to match the 100+ homes we do each year in Southern Chester County. The foundation was clear that we should continue to build a sustainable program. With this increase in repair funds, we will need even more volunteers and supporters in order to double our impact. Today I received a note from a single mother of 7: "Before you came to my house to address my plumbing issues I had completely exhausted all the money I had trying to remedy the problem myself. I could barely meet my utility bills when the leak got worse and, consequently, caused a mold problem which severely affected my children's health. I am certain that God sent you in the nick of time to help us." As we thank the Lord, the Foundation and our faithful friends, there are still many low-income families in desperate need of warmer, safer, drier and healthier homes. With your continued support and the Longwood Foundation funds, many more of these families will receive help from Good Neighbors. Harold Naylor, Jr. Executive Director |
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GOOD NEIGHBORS INC.
224 E. STREET ROAD, STE. 2 KENNETT SQUARE, PA 19348 610-444-1860 OFFICE@GOODNEIGHBORSHR.ORG © 2019 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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