Habitat for Humanity’s latest efforts to bring together community and enable families to take pride in home-ownership grows with A Brush with Kindness.
How many times have you wondered how you could help a neighbor out who you noticed struggled managing their property on their own? The vines have crept through their shutters and the paint is peeling off of the stoop. Maybe the gutters have started to pull away from the fascia and you can actually see where the pesky raccoon has made an entrance into their attic. This is a neighbor who needs some help, but maybe isn’t ready to ask for help.
EarthCraft Virginia is a local partner with Habitat for Humanity DC and Habitat for Humanity of Arlington. We think it is fantastic that Habitat has created a program that helps people with the exterior maintenance of homes just as much as we enjoy partnering with them on the interior maintenance. Exterior home maintenance is imperative and keeps a home in tip top shape; just as you want to keep a home in tip-top shape in the inside, it is important to keep it in good shape on the outside as well. “A Brush with Kindness is an exterior home preservation service that offers painting, landscaping, weather stripping and minor repair services for homeowners in need. ABWK helps low-income homeowners impacted by age, disability and family circumstances, who struggle to maintain the exterior of their homes, reclaim their homes with pride and dignity.” This is the type of service, where neighbors like you, who are so willing to lend a helping hand can do so without being pushy or insulting to neighbors who have been afraid to ask for assistance. Habitat for Humanity’s ABWK program offers homeowners who need a bit of extra help just what they need through your kindness.
Per their very informative website, Habitat for Humanity is able to provide these services locally through the following avenues:
- Habitat selects partner families based on income, need and willingness to partner.
- Habitat affiliates use volunteer labor and donated materials to keep costs low and take no profit for their services.
- A no-interest loan is made to the homeowner to cover the cost of the project. Payments made by the homeowners are placed in a revolving fund to help A Brush with Kindness serve others in need.
They say it matters because “A Brush with Kindness ensures that families live in safe and well-maintained homes. The program is designed to revitalize the appearance of the neighborhood, encourage connections within the community, and most importantly, help preserve affordable housing stock.” This is not only a good thing for the community itself, but it also helps the individual homeowners lift their spirits and get back into a place of being a part of their community again.
Learn more about the local chapters of Habitat for Humanity and see what you can do as a volunteer or even apply for assistance.
