MEDIA CONTACT:
Sean O’Brien, HomeFront
O: (203) 658-9664 C: (203) 803-9772
sobrien@homefrontprogram.org
Upwards of 600 Local Volunteers Ready to Repair 19 Homes and One Community Center for Free in Danbury, Darien, East Hartford, Enfield, Fairfield, Greenwich, Kensington, Milford, New Fairfield, Newtown, Norwalk, Oxford, Plantsville, Ridgefield, Rocky Hill, Seymour, Southbury, Stamford & Watertown
Connecticut — April 29 — Starting Sat., May 3rd, 600 local neighbors of all ages and from all walks of life are banding together to revitalize 20 properties in need across 19 cities this Spring—all at no cost to the recipients. Older adults on fixed incomes, veterans, persons with disabilities, single-parent households and other low-income families are at the heart of their focus.
Volunteer leaders from faith communities, civic groups and corporations have spent months planning this outpouring with HomeFront. These 36th annual Spring HomeFront Days are a key step in the program—s goal to deliver safer and healthier living conditions to 90 local families this year. In addition to the dedicated helpers, this life-changing service is made possible by grants, individual donations and volunteer sponsorships. [Photo, B-roll and interview opportunities are available with beneficiaries and volunteer leaders at “Media Welcome” locations listed below.]
“We are proud to team up with every segment of the community and become part of the housing solution,” said HomeFront&rsquos Board Chair, Kenneth Wiegand.
These good works take place in a state where 40% of CT residents report struggling with making ends meet, according to Data Haven and United Way. The Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness underscores what is at stake amid a 13% rise in homelessness particularly among employed residents who cannot afford housing. For those who have built up our communities, the Connecticut Chapter of the American Association of Retired People finds that 55% of older adults express concern about being able to afford to age in place. The impact of these repairs extends beyond individual households. Research shows that repairing even one home on a block can lead to a nearly 22% decrease in total crime in that area. Improvements to a single home help strengthen entire neighborhoods, stabilize communities, and foster pride among residents.
Today’s HomeFront organizes Spring and Fall volunteer home repair group events. The program has also ratcheted up assistance with its new initiative called Critical Pro Repair (CPR). Through CPR, skilled HomeFront staff team up with one or two skilled volunteers to deliver crucial repairs such as wheelchair ramps, step and walkway overhauls and deck repairs to struggling families. More than 100 local families have received essential construction aid from HomeFront through CPR since 2020.
The collective compassion of hands-on volunteers, product contributors, foundations and other donors brings HomeFront to the mark of more than 3,200 homes revitalized in program history, delivering $50 million of service where needed most since 1988. HomeFront is a community-based program dedicated to keeping low-income homeowners in their homes with an improved quality of life through substantial repairs completed at no cost to them. More information on HomeFront can be found online at www.homefrontprogram.org.
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PARTICIPATING LOCAL VOLUNTEER GROUPS
Corporate
Hometown Hero Level
- FactSet Research Systems, Norwalk
Civic
- Greenwich Association of Realtors
- Newtown Lions Teams I & II
- Team Up, Danbury
Faith-Based
- Holy Disciples Parish, Watertown
- North American Martyrs Parish Teams I & II, East Hartford
- Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish, Stamford
- Southbury Faith in Action (SOFIA)
- St. Edward the Confessor Parish, New Fairfield
- St. Josephine Bakhita Parish, Rocky Hill
- St. Luke’s Parish, Darien
- St. Paul Parish of Kensington
- St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Fairfield
- St. Raphael’s Parish, Milford
- St. Jeanne Jugan Parish Teams I, II & III, Enfield
- St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Oxford+
MAJOR SPONSORS
Presenting Sponsor
- Connecticut Department of Housing
Program Benefactor
- Connecticut Department of Economic Community Development
Community Leader Level
- The John H. & Ethel G. Noble Charitable Trust, New York, NY
- The Mithun Family Foundation, Minneapolis, MN
- The Norbert H. Hardner Foundation, Amherst, NH
Housing Partner Level
- Connecticut Housing Finance Authority, IOREBTA
- Twenty-Seven Foundation, Glastonbury
Good Neighbor Level
- City of Norwalk — Redevelopment Office
- Connecticut Community Foundation, Waterbury
- Near & Far Aid, Southport
- St. John’s Community Foundation, Stamford
- The Ridgefield Thrift Shop
- The Goodnow Fund, Darien
- The Katharine Matthies Foundation, Seymour
- The Office for Catholic Social Justice of the Archdiocese of Hartford, Bloomfield
- Webster Bank, Waterbury
Project Builder Level
- First County Bank Foundation, Stamford
- Herbert & Nell Singer Foundation, Wilmington, DE
- NewAlliance Foundation, New Haven
Other Major Sponsors
- Auer Family Foundation, Calabasas, CA
- Downey Family Foundation, Westport
- Savings Bank of Danbury
- Thomaston Savings Bank Foundation
PRODUCT & SERVICE CONTRIBUTORS
- Ace Hardware, Bethel — building supplies
- Allway Tools, Bronx, NY — tools
- Behr Paint, Santa Anna, CA — paint
- Classic Tile, Rockaway, NJ — flooring tile
- DAP Products, Baltimore, MD — caulk
- H.J. Hoffman & Co., Norwalk — screenprinting
- Mark Johnson, Brookfield, CT — well drilling services
- MARVIN of Enfield — replacement windows
- Mary pat Design, Shelton — graphic design
- Mercury Excelum, East Windsor — windows
- Pro Bono Partnership, NY & Fairfield County — non-profit legal assistance
- Ring’s End, Bethel — doors and construction materials
- The Home Depot, Danbury — building materials
- Wooster Brush Co, Wooster, OH — paint sundries