Friday, Mar. 4, 2005 | ||
Bad Links? | Plans underway for Community Action DayHuge renovation, addition central project on tapBy JOHN MUNFORD Volunteers, supplies and gift cards are still needed for Peachtree Citys upcoming Community Action Day Saturday, May 14. A host of helpers will be working on a variety of projects from assisting seniors with home repair to cleaning up cemeteries and enhancing landscaping at several city schools. But the big project will be the upgrade of a home on Williams Circle that houses six people on a floor plan of just over 1,000 sq. ft. Living in the Garner family home are three brothers, two of whom are blind and the third who is a paraplegic. Also there is a sister and her two daughters, 5 and 13, who are bunking together in a small bedroom. Already, Balmoral Village has offered a fully-furnished handicap-accessible apartment for the family to use for a month while the Wieland crews work on the project. The city is waiving its normal permitting fees and donating time to inspect the construction whenever needed, said building official Tom Carty. Carty said the Garners are an example of a family that never asks for anything but makes do with what blessings it has; the family has already paid off the house, he noted. Thanks to John Wieland Homes, theres much more in store for the family. The process will take about a month, but when done there will be several new bedrooms, a new bathroom for the girls and other renovated rooms including the handicapped accessible bathroom and a new living room. John Wieland approached the city several months ago asking for a good community project to work on, Carty said, noting that the city could not ask companies to participate because of the inappropriate appearance that might create. Tami Babb, a code enforcement officer, is in charge of organizing the effort. She said the giving nature of participants and supporters is incredibly heartening. Its just great to see everybody in the community coming together, Babb said. The spirit just gets contagious. A Girl Scout troop and a sorority are taking the responsibility of decorating the girls new bedroom and providing clothing, books and other items, Babb said. Cooper Lighting is donating all the lighting materials needed for the house, she added. Particularly, the Garner project is in need of a plumber with experience in installing a small lift station so the home can be removed from its septic tank and connected to the citys sewer system, Babb said. Anyone who can donate electrician and carpentry services would also be of help, she noted. One of the projects to assist a senior resident involves an 85-year-old widow whose husband and 27-year-old daughter passed away in the same year, leaving such repair projects behind as a roof that needs fixing and a broken condensation relief pipe to her homes air conditioning system. In last years first-ever Community Action Day, volunteers as young as Boy Scouts pitched in, with products donated largely from Wal-Mart and Home Depot. This year, due to the Garner family home project, more assistance will be needed from anyone who can provide it, Babb said. Any local businesses that can provide support would be greatly appreciated, she added. Among needed items are bedroom furniture for the Garner girls, major and minor kitchen appliances from a range, a dishwasher, a vent hood, garbage disposal, refrigerator, microwave, toaster, blender and small kitchen tools including flatware, bakeware and towels. Gift cards from any store will come in handy to purchase needed items, Babb said. No cash donations can be accepted, however, she noted. Carty said local churches often pitch in when a local resident is in need, and this years Community Action Day is no exception. Our fire and police departments are first responders, whenever theres a crisis, Carty said. Then our churches are our second responders. Ashton Woods Homes has also committed to completely redoing a driveway for an elderly resident in the Wynnmeade subdivision as the current driveway has many cracks and has become difficult to navigate, Carty said. The generosity of people in this town is just unbelievable, he said. The Community Action Day May 14 will begin with a breakfast served by city officials before volunteers roll up their sleeves and get cracking on the project list. To volunteer or arrange a donation, contact Babb at tbabb@ptcgovernment.org.
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