Giving Tuesday Impact Series: Volunteers bring warmth to seniors
H.O.M.E. volunteers mean the world to seniors during Chicago's brutal winters. The winter can be costly and dangerous for seniors who lack the financial means or physical ability to winterize their homes themselves.
H.O.M.E.’s Weatherization Program provides a safe, simple, and affordable option to low-income seniors in Chicago.
Weatherization Program
Weatherization groups help low-income senior homeowners prepare their homes for the harsh winter months by sealing their windows. It is a great activity for friends, corporate groups, teen youth or athletic groups, or other small groups!
H.O.M.E. provides window kits that are easy to install plus the necessary tools and training. The results are fewer drafty windows and a warmer home for the senior.
Here at H.O.M.E. we love hearing stories and getting feedback from groups who weatherize with us. Below are just two stories we have heard this year.
Homeowners are grateful
This past weekend a dedicated group trudged through the snow to work in an elder's home. The group leader wrote to us this morning saying:
“Thank you for letting us take part in the home weatherization project this weekend. Feedback from the volunteers has been great – several of them told me they had fun and are so glad they participated. Personally, the very enthusiastic thanks my group received from Mrs. Williams when we showed her the completed windows made it totally worthwhile. I’m glad we decided to proceed as planned despite the snow.
I don’t know what our plans or schedule is for next year, but I certainly hope we can do this again!”
Did you know that giving back can increase happiness? Compared with people who never donate their time, the odds of being “very happy” rose 7% among those who donate their time monthly and 12% for people who do so every 2-4 weeks.
What you can learn through listening
One of our most recent groups from Jesus House's LIGHT shared a powerful story of their experience weatherizing the home of Loreen, and what they learned from simply listening.
This past Saturday we were blessed to spend time with Loreen. While...weatherizing her home we realized we were there to be listeners. Loreen's story is a painful reminder of the scars of violence. Having had two sons shot with one dying recently from an infection due to a bullet wound and the other paralyzed Loreen shared with us what a great man her son James was. Please keep her and her family in your prayers. Thank you to everyone that volunteered, you truly are a blessing to the world.
Make a big difference year-round
We rely on volunteers and your donations to support the operations of our programs. Through our Volunteer Program last year, we weatherized 31 senior homes, painted 16 homes, and provided meals and activities to our intergenerational housing residents. You can help make a big difference in 2016!
This year H.O.M.E. is hosting a Pajama Gala on Tuesday, December 1, 2015 to celebrate Giving Tuesday and make a big impact for seniors in 2016. Follow us on Facebook for updates, and RSVP to the event to find out more about how you can participate from your own home!
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To find out more about H.O.M.E. and to provide support to low-income seniors, please visit our website or like us on Facebook!
This post is part of our series to celebrate Giving Tuesday, which will take place this year on December 1, 2015. The idea behind #GivingTuesday is to kickoff the holiday-giving season, in the same way that Black Friday and Cyber Monday kickoff the holiday-shopping season.
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