Volunteers to Repair Homes Damaged by Sandy

Work Begins Saturday in Bridgeport, Milford, Norwalk and Stamford

Stamford, Conn. – May 2, 2013 – Twenty Sandy-damaged homes in Connecticut and New York are slated to get much-needed repairs from AmeriCares Hurricane Sandy Relief Program. The work begins this Saturday, May 4, when volunteer teams head out to replace shingles on wind-damaged roofs and remove water-logged sheetrock from homes in Bridgeport, Milford, Norwalk and Stamford.

HomeFront Inc., an organization that mobilizes volunteers on the first Saturday in May to fix up homes for seniors, people with disabilities and low-income families, received a grant from AmeriCares Hurricane Sandy Relief Program to oversee the project. Nineteen of the properties are in Connecticut; one is in Yonkers, N.Y. All of the repairs are expected to be completed by August.

“Six months after Sandy families are still living in unsafe homes with dangerous mold and leaky roofs,” said AmeriCares President and CEO Curt Welling. “By mobilizing local volunteers we estimate we can make $300,000 in improvements for our neighbors in need, including many single parents and senior citizens on fixed incomes.”

Most of the families benefitting struggle with health issues and are not physically able to make the repairs themselves. Only repairs not covered by insurance are eligible. Volunteers from local businesses, community organizations and churches will work on about half of the homes; professional contractors will be hired to handle more complicated repairs.

AmeriCares has been aiding survivors of natural disasters, political conflict and extreme poverty around the world for more than 30 years, saving lives and restoring health and hope. AmeriCares Hurricane Sandy Relief Program focuses on restoring access to medical care and mental health services and helping storm-damaged communities prepare for future disasters. Six months after the storm, the nonprofit global health and disaster relief organization has provided $4.5 million in aid benefitting nearly 400,000 storm victims in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.