Saturday, March 27, 2010

Clean Up at 2212 Collier

Comment Up

This is a great day for the beach but instead, some really fabulous people showed up with rakes and gloves in hand to pitch in and help an elderly homeowner on Collier. I missed seeing the Mayor who was there helping but I did manage to get a few photos of Commissioner Maxwell wearing his back brace and working up a sweat. Katie was working earlier. It was hard work on a hot day but all so worthwhile...giving back to someone in need...there is nothing more worthwhile than that. There is a long way to go to get this property in order.

I talked to Steve Viles who has helped out this owner in the past but being only one guy to handle all of this was an awesome and impossible endeavor. Steve was out of work for 6 months and just recently found a job with a Painting outfit in Jupiter. Even when he wondered sometimes where his next meal would come from, he was out there volunteering and helping others. Incidentally, Steve is looking for an efficiency to rent in Lake Worth. He is an amazing guy.

Thanks to Robert Waples' intervention, the ROLOH neighborhood was called to pitch in and help out this home owner who is a senior and on a walker and who can't physically attend to these chores. Robert has arranged a special trash pick-up for Monday morning. It is this sort of thing that brings neighbors together and it makes me so proud to know these guys.

In one of the shots you will see Robert and Steve along with a couple of prison laborers with Deputy Mark Lozano who is in charge of the Prison Labor Program for District 14. He set my mind at ease when he explained to me that the labor used in the neighborhoods and in our alley ways is not from hard-core criminals but those with minor infractions such as not having a driver's license or a ticket for a DUI. Part of their sentence is community service.

Starting this Wednesday at our police station, PBSO will be starting a free 9 week program beginning at 6:30 to 9:30pm that will educate us on Homeland Security, K-9 Units, Financial Crimes, Bomb Squads, Violent Crimes, Narcotics, etc.

Thanks Robert for this remarkable neighborhood association event and to all those who volunteered.

3 comments:

  1. From Robert Waples--

    Good Afternoon Neighbors and Friends, (Pictures and more story at Lynn's Blog http://lynn-a.blogspot.com/ )

    We had a GREAT and remarkable morning at 2212 Collier Drive today and I can't thank all the Volunteers enough on such a great job and hard work. Want to give a couple credits to the following:

    Deborah Amador from Amador Landscaping and her wonderful kids for all thier hard work and respect to the homeowners personal property.
    ROLOH Vice - President for chipping in and a neighbor in need.
    Mayor Rene Varela for all your hard work and help now and for what will come for this homeowner.
    Commissioner Scott Maxwell for working and sweating and for the future help that you will be able to help arrange.

    BIG HUGS to Sandi Dubose for representing the City of Lake Worth!!! Not only did she show up, work hard she came back for more after she had to run home for a plumbing emergency SANDI YOU ROCK!

    I big shout out to PBSO Deputy Mark Lozano for bringing three remarkable individual with the PBSO work program!

    I even BIGGER shout out to Steve Viles for trying to tackle this very large task on his own and I now have the pleasure of meeting and working with on this project and future projects. I man down on his luck and still willing to give to others speaks volumes.

    Thank you to Tripp and Jennifer for the use of the table to set up my staging area and big THANKS to Joanna Aiken with the Solid Waste Authority for making the pick up arrangements with the city and blessing us with this project. Thank you to Lynn Anderson for documenting with pictures and a very touching story on your blog http://lynn-a.blogspot.com/

    NOW - We still have more work to do with this clean up as we are only about half way done on the outside clean up! We will need more volunteers Next Saturday to finish the job so that the Lake Osborne Presbyterian Church volunteers can get the pressure cleaning done for our target date of house painting in mid-April!!!!

    WE NEED MORE VOLUNTEERS to make this home a true home again and we are asking for the following: (Next Team Date is April 3rd Starting at 10AM)

    We need a donation of soffit trim for the whole exterior of the house!
    Work Gloves for the volunteers that will be re-used for future projects
    A door bell and would be great to have an electrician for a few minor exterior repairs
    Dare Devil Volunteers to go into the hole where old pool used to exist and help haul out heavy debris
    Volunteers to pull out more weed and landscaping
    Volunteers to remove additional Debris
    New wood fence for the back yard
    Donation of low or no maintenance plants for the front ouf the home - volunteer to help plant them.
    There are three area's in the front yard that need to be weeded out and a volunteer to pick up mulch from the SWA Free Mulch Program to bring us a truck load.
    After this clean up is complete the Tony - (Next Door) will keep the yard mowed going forward so all plant material needs to be low or no maintenance.

    The old pool is practically non-existent and unless we can get Trixie grant funding to have the pool replaced for her physicall Therapy we will have to ask a local builder/Developer if they can bring us fill (in kind) to fill it in.

    Please pass the word out to everyone that you think can help on this project and lets keep the momentum going as you may see me in the near future at a project in YOUR neighborhood!!

    Got a neighbor in need? Contact the Solid Waste Authority to see if the qualify for one of thier programs and lets restore homes to those in need in our Great City of Lake Worth! SWA 697-2700 or www.swa.org

    GO TEAM ROLOH!!! :-)

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  2. Robert,our president here in ROLOH ,said it all better than I ever could have. Working together we can all make a huge difference in our neighborhoods and town!

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  3. Maybe one day I will proof read my message before I post it :-) THANKS EVERYONE!!!! And sorry for the typo's

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