Dozens of Greenwich REALTOR® Volunteers Revitalize Home of Local Resident in Need

September 23, 2023 -  Leaves may be falling soon but hopes are very much on the rise thanks to hundreds of good-hearted volunteers preparing to fix up 12 homes across nine cities in CT during this year’s Fall HomeFront Days – all at no cost to the recipients. This aid could not come sooner to older adults living on social security, low-income veterans, persons with disabilities, single-parent households and families in transitional crisis due to illness or job loss. Hundreds of residents have turned to HomeFront for help with substantial repair needs this year. In every case, our most vulnerable neighbors are contending with stubbornly high inflation as they brace themselves for the colder months. 

Volunteer leaders from the Greenwich Association of Realtors dedicated weeks of planning to bring peace of mind to an older gentleman and Greenwich resident of 30 years who now has health issues and financial limitations of his own after caring for his father for quite some time. On Sat., Sept 23rd, some 40 real estate professionals and contractors rolled up their sleeves with an agenda that encompassed new gutters, overhauling hazardous front steps and railings, door repairs, cleanup, landscaping, plumbing improvements, lattice work and fresh coats of paint. Many segments of the Greenwich community stepped up to the cause, including generously donated skilled construction expertise, landscaping needs, and a host of local businesses who gifted refreshments to fuel the hometown helpers. 

Special shout outs are in order to the following local contractors and businesses for their contributions: 

Local contractors David Dall of Total Home Management (Greenwich, CT), Enrique Gutierrez of A.E. Gutierrez Contracting (Stamford, CT), and Stephen Kane of SKG Investment Partners (Greenwich, CT) and their teams dedicated their time and efforts both on the volunteer day and beyond to various life-changing projects for the beneficiary, and also provided the necessary guidance and safety oversight to volunteers.

Sam Bridge Nursery & Greenhouses (437 North St, Greenwich) went above and beyond with their donation of perennial plants and trees that will bring new life and brightness to the property for years to come.

Dunkin Donuts (271 West Putnam Ave, Greenwich) provided coffee and donuts, and Upper Crust Bagels (197 Sound Beach Ave, Old Greenwich) contributed bagels and spreads to fuel our morning volunteers. Glenville Pizza (243 Glenville Road, Greenwich) and Happiness Is Catering (1067 North St, Greenwich) generously donated pizzas and sandwiches for the volunteer lunch, and Edible Arrangements (384 West Putnam Ave, Greenwich) and Aux Delices (3 West Elm St, Greenwich) provided a much needed sweet treat to help afternoon volunteers power through the cold, rainy afternoon. 

Mattress Firm (159 West Putnam Ave, Greenwich) also provided a substantial discount on a new mattress for the beneficiary.

Additional product and service contributors included: Ace Hardware, Bethel (building supplies); Allway Tools, Bronx, NY (tools); Behr Paint, Santa Anna, CA (paint); DAP Products, Baltimore, MD (caulk); H.J. Hoffman & Co., Norwalk (screenprinting); Mercury Excelum, East Windsor (windows) Ring’s End, Bethel (doors and construction materials); The Home Depot, Danbury (building materials); Wooster Brush Co, Wooster, OH (paint sundries).

The project and improvements could not have been possible without the support of these wonderful contributors and volunteers.

A tradition 36 years in the making, these Fall HomeFront Days are a major step forward in the program’s goal of delivering housing stability to 75 of our most vulnerable neighbors this year. 

According to HomeFront’s Board Chair, Kenneth Wiegand, “The Greenwich Association of Realtors could not be more of a natural fit with our mission. Their life’s work revolves around the importance of a decent home. We are honored to partner with them.”

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 85 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.

MEDIA CONTACTS:  

Sean O’Brien, HomeFront , (203) 658-9664

Stacey Loh, Greenwich Association of REALTORS®, (203) 869-0240