When is a door more than a door? It's more than a door when it provides security and safety. It's more than a door when it demonstrates care and love. These COVID-19 days seem to bring out the best in people, both as a giver and as a receiver. Ralph Robinson is one of those compassionate givers - Cynthia S. is the receiver.
 
"You restored my faith in God and His goodness". This is a common comment from the 100+ men and women who we reach each year. They are so grateful and we are, too. We simply point them the great Giver of all good gifts.
 
Your generosity enables us to restore hope through the simple act of replacing a door, or a window, or repairing a roof leak. These repairs are more than repairs; they are the openings to new dignity and hope for the future.
 
Thanks for enabling new doors,

If you think about it....
Did you know that the CARES Act allows you
to contribute $300 as a separate deduction even if you don't itemize?
It could be a great way to bless a non-profit.

Dear friend,
Good Neighbors Home Repair is a Christian ministry that provides critical home repairs at no cost to the homeowner.  We do not discriminate on the basis of religious beliefs.  We follow the example of Jesus who told us to give "a cup of cold water" (Matthew 10) to quench thirst.  He didn't discriminate either.

Tom Hilferty, our Senior Project Manager, leads us in providing cups of cold water to our low-income neighbors.  He does this by fixing leaking roofs and broken doors and dangerous steps.  Tom also asks if he can pray with and for the homeowner.  And, guess what, no one has ever said "no thanks".

Prayer is the discipline of looking to God and asking for His perfect Will to be done.  We recognize that we need help, guidance and strength which can only come from Heaven.  

Seems simple enough.  "I can't save myself, so I look to the One who does."  Good Neighbors operates in this truth and through the partnership of folks like you who also want to be in the "cup of cold water" brigade.

Thank you for helping us love our neighbors.

Harold Naylor
Executive Director

Two months ago I was not really aware of Covid-19, Coronavirus, Social Distancing and a whole host of terms I now hear everyday. Also, I had never contemplated wearing a face mask except in a high-dust situation.

Now, I am so thankful for these homemade masks that were given to Good Neighbors by the local Chamber of Commerce. These will allow us to go to work sites and we'll be keeping ourselves and the homeowner protected while we perform critical home repairs to keep the house "warmer, safer, drier and healthier".

You've heard the expression "simple pleasures are the best!". It's true about masks that keeps germs out. I'm smiling because I am thankful for a good roof, heat, and safe home.

The joy of a safe home - it seems too simple, doesn't it? But, that is what we do every day. This year we plan to bring joy and hope to 150 families.  

As you think about what you have joy about in these challenging days, please join me in praising God for this provision. And, if you are able to help us continue this service to others, please click here and make a one-time or monthly gift to cover the repairs that are given at no charge to our homeowners.

Blessings abound!
Harold

by Rachel Metzger

   ​     Gwen Snead has a collage of photographs hanging on her living room wall.  “These are all the babies that I took care of,” she proudly shows me.  “Most of them are grown now, but when I turned 80 some of them got together and threw a birthday party for me. They all took turns telling me how much it meant to them that I took care of them.  It really touched me,” she explains fondly.
      The room that was once her Day-Care still has a few toys but long gone are the days when Gwen took care of babies and toddlers while their parents worked.  She has been living in her New Castle, Delaware home since 1969.  The modest home is well kept and holds years and years of sweet memories.  Gwen lives alone and manages to live on a single monthly Social Security check.  He daughter checks on her regularly and takes her to the grocery store.  Gwen chose to stop driving years ago after her car was stolen. Nowadays she rarely leaves her house.
      A few months ago, a neighborhood friend told her about Good Neighbors.  Gwen was taking sponge baths at her bathroom sink because her old tub had developed a hole.  She also couldn’t keep her broken front door closed.  “Every time there was a strong wind, it blew open.  I really didn’t know what I was going to do.  I don’t have the money to fix anything.”  She stood up from her sofa and invited me to walk down the hallway to her bathroom.  “Look how beautiful it is!” she says as she shows me her brand-new bathroom tub.  “I love to take baths now; it is the best part of my day. It’s like going to the spa!”  Gwen is no longer taking sponge baths and her front door is weatherized and remains shut after Good Neighbors made these repairs to her home for free.  “The Good Neighbors’ project managers were so polite.  I just can’t say enough about them.  They worked so quietly, I hardly noticed they were here.” 
      It’s homeowners like Gwen that benefit from the generosity of Good Neighbors’ numerous supporters.  When you generously donate to Good Neighbors, just something as small as a locked door or a bathtub make a world of difference.  The smallest acts of kindness add up to enormous impact. 

Above: Gwen's new bathtub

​At Good Neighbors, we are thankful that we serve our God in Heaven who is not surprised with the developing events regarding the Covid-19 virus. He is still on the throne directing all affairs to bring honor to Himself. 
 
After thoughtful consideration, we wanted to let you know, our partners, how Good Neighbors is responding to the recent events:

• Local authorities have designated home repairs as "essential services". Therefore, Good Neighbors will continue to operate in order to bring relief and hope to our low-income neighbors.

 

• Even more so now, many of our neighbors need critical home repairs and can't afford them.   We will perform them using the health precautions and guidelines from all local, state and national agencies.  We will assess risk and use all forms of Personal Protective Equipment while we look out for the health and safety of our homeowners.  If you know of anyone in need of home repairs that would qualify, please have them contact us at 610-444-1860.

 

• Further, we will help our homeowners connect with other local agencies to help meet their needs for food, health, and other services.

 
Finally, to our current and future supporters, we are totally funded by the gifts and contributions of individuals, churches, family foundations and businesses.  Please consider an investment in hope as, together, we strive to be the hands and feet of Christ, the Lord of all.
 
Harold

Salaried Summer Internship
Good Neighbors Home Repair is a Christian non-profit company in New Castle (DE) and Chester County (PA). Our organization is looking for a rising college junior or senior who feels called to full-time Christian service and wants to “try it” with us for a summer.
​
A Variety of Experiences – Your responsibilities
This internship includes real work and special training for the individual who hopes to begin a career in Christian work and ministry to financially disadvantaged families and seniors.
As our Summer Intern, you will work in four major areas:

• Operations
  • Working alongside Project Managers (professional contractors) on minor and major home repairs
  • Meeting clients and hearing their story – build skills of empathetic listening
• Advancement
  • Participating in grant application writing
  • Meeting and encouraging volunteers and donors
  • Planning events
  • Upgrading our social media program
• Summer Youth Camp
  • Assisting a local church youth group to run their one-week camp
  • Assisting the Camp Director to run the 60-student one-week camp in July
• Management / Ministry leadership
  • Shadowing Exec. Director, Operations Director and joining board and other leadership meetings
  • Assisting the outcome assessments of our work with past clients
  • Creating a framework for year-round mentoring and internships

Other Relevant Details

• Candidate will be identified and selected by April 15
• Internship Timeframe: Mid-May until Mid-August
• Pay: $12-15/hour based on experience and skills
• Location: Office in Kennett Square
• Regular weekday hours with infrequent evening meetings and Saturdays (with volunteer groups)

Required Qualifications:

• Two or more years of college completed
• Professing Christian with church membership
• Ability to do outside and inside construction work

Send Resumes and Inquiries to Harold.Naylor@goodneighborshr.org

        “I have so much to be thankful for,” says Jan Weaver, “God has taken such good care of me.”  Jan, who is a resident of Oxford, was the recipient of a new roof this past summer.  Several teens who attended Good Neighbors’ Youth Summer Camp spent five days replacing her roof during the month of July.  “God arranged for me to meet Tom Hilferty, one of Good Neighbors’ project managers, just at the time when I needed a new roof.  I had no idea how I was going to pay for it because I live on a limited income, but God brought Good Neighbors into my life just when I needed it.”  Jan has been living alone for over 20 years and a recent fall has made it difficult for her to work. 
​      Anyone who spends time with Jan will instantly notice her spirit of gratitude and grace and her spirit is a reminder to all of us to be deeply grateful for all the many blessings that God bestows upon all of us every day.  May the spirit of Thanksgiving bless all of us! 

                  The importance of volunteering can be summed up in a single word: hope. While volunteering is important because it puts a roof over someone’s head or fixes an unstable deck, the true power of volunteering is in the hope it brings into people’s lives.
            Volunteering is important because it brings hope into the lives of the homeowners. Homeowners that need volunteer work often lack the physical or financial abilities to do the work themselves. They may feel dejected or abandoned. They may begin to lose faith in themselves, the world, or even God. When these homeowners see dozens of volunteers give up a week of their time to help a stranger, it changes their outlook on life. They realize that there are people out there that care for them and love them. Even more importantly, they remember that God loves them and has a plan for them.
            Volunteering brings hope into the lives of the homeowners, but the effect extends much farther than a single person. The volunteers themselves experience the same feeling of hope. When I walked into the church on Sunday and saw all the people that had volunteered their time to spread the love of Jesus, I was blown away. I was even more amazed when I realized that these were the same people I saw in school and at the grocery store. Student and adult leaders alike both experience this feeling of hope. When one of my group leaders dropped me off and two other volunteers at the church for the last time, he graciously thanked us for serving with him that week. But what he said after that is something I will remember for the rest of my life. He told us that seeing dozens of teenagers volunteer a week of their time to help a stranger gave him hope that this world is going to be just fine. This comment showed me that volunteering has a powerful effect on more than just the homeowner.
            The effects of volunteer work extends to one other group: the bystanders. Some people walk past the worksite without a second glance. But others take a minute to talk with us, and that is when I can truly see the hope that volunteering spreads. One man walked up to our group during our lunch break. After we told him what we were doing, he told us that it warmed his heart to see so many young people volunteering in his hometown. He thanked us again and prayed for us before he left. To me, this is the best part of volunteering. I love seeing the hope that is brings to the random people that happen to walk or drive past the house.
            Volunteering provides physical and financial assistance to those who need it, but it does so much more. Volunteering gives hope to everyone involved with it, whether they are the homeowners, the volunteers, or the people that witness it.

​  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.