Hundreds of volunteers descended on the Village of Park Forest on an unseasonably warm Saturday to help renovate about 33 homes.
The renovations were part of National Rebuilding Day, coordinated and managed by Rebuilding Together - Metro Chicago and its network of 1,500 volunteers from local unions, businesses, and non-profits who work in partnership with local communities last Saturday of April each year.
More than 30 homes in Park Forest had repairs completed. Work ranged from installing mobility aids like grab bars to overhauling large parts of electrical and plumbing systems. Many of the bigger jobs had gotten underway earlier in the spring to help facilitate completion by the end of April.
Among the hundreds of volunteers in Park Forest was Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle. Preckwinkle joined Village board members and other volunteers at a home on Illinois Street where they painted interior walls and spread fresh mulch around the residence. Preckwinkle offered comments from the driveway of the home to a volunteer audience, noting the importance of volunteerism as a way to provide others with a hand up.
“I am very thankful and I know this Park Forest homeowner is thankful for the hundreds of volunteers who contribute their time to help others move closer to realizing the American dream,” Preckwinkle said.
Assistant Director of Economic and Development Andrew Brown said the partnership and initiative with Rebuilding Metro-Chicago were a great example of how community partners, trade unions, jurisdictions, and agencies can come together for those in need to help ensure everyone in the community has a high quality of life.
"This was the first time Rebuilding Together – Metro Chicago and the Village have partnered," Brown said. "Their coordination facilitates two programs: National Rebuilding Day and Safe At Home. Both are inherently valuable to the Village in their own way."
Brown continued, "Together, those programs allow income-eligible residents to complete repairs that they may not have been able to otherwise, comprehensively raising the quality of life in Park Forest for homeowners."
Residents had to apply, meet income qualifications, and have properly scoped repairs for the program. The residents noted they are grateful the improvements were made to provide a better quality of life.
Brown said that though the repairs for National Rebuilding Day are mostly completed, Rebuilding Metro-Chicago will continue its work through the Safe at Home Program, which aims to provide low-cost, high-impact home modifications and minor repairs, enabling residents to live safely in their homes.
Click here to determine if you qualify for the Safe at Home Program.